Jun 13 - CA Creates Greener Carpet Standards
Andrew McIntosh of the Sacramento Bee reports that California will be implementing a new carpet policy that will go into effect September 1, requiring new carpet purchased for state offices to have a minimum of 10% recycled fiber. The new policy has been in the works since October 2003, with the standard being a more stringent version of a draft national standard.
The 12 million square feet of dreary new carpet the state buys for its offices each year -- enough to cover 208 football fields or 47 miles of four-lane freeway -- is about to get a lot greener.
Under a new government purchasing policy called the "California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard," companies selling broadloom to the state will be required to ensure it contains at least 10 percent recycled fiber and fewer smelly and headache-inducing emissions, known as "volatile organic compounds."
The complete article continues to discuss certain specifics from the California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard, that includes requiring carpet vendors to take back more worn carpets and ensure their fibers get recycled at specialized facilities.
This new standard is a growing number of problems the CA Dept. of General Services has been tackling, the latest being cutting mercury content in fluorescent replacement light bulbs.
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