Carpet can negatively impact the indoor environment and the employee and patient experience in your facility. Some volatile organic compounds that can be released from the carpet into the indoor air are carcinogens or reproductive and developmental toxicants. Other hazardous chemicals can contaminate indoor dust, resulting in exposures. Workers in carpet manufacturing and recycling facilities can be exposed to carcinogens, asthmagens, and reproductive and developmental toxicants.
Choosing healthier recyclable carpet can:
- Decrease patient, staff, and visitor exposures to harmful chemicals that have links to asthma, cancer, and developmental impacts, among other health effects.
- Decrease the volume of toxic and persistent chemicals being released into our environment.
- Decrease the toxic impact of carpet on manufacturing communities where production facilities are located.
- Reduce landfill waste by encouraging carpet recycling.
- Encourage design for a circular economy in carpet manufacturing.
Healthy Carpet goalHealth care institutions ensure that at least 25% of carpet (based on square footage) installed per year meets the healthy carpet silver or gold level criteria.
The adhesive used to install the carpet must be certified as meeting Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Plus, or the carpet must be attached mechanically without a chemical adhesive.
The Healthy Carpet goal is intended to encourage hospitals to purchase products that meet our Healthy Carpet silver or gold level criteria.
Practice Greenhealth offers step-by-step resources that will make it simpler for any hospital or health care organization to design, implement, and measure the success of their chemical reduction efforts.
