Sustainable Wool Rugs from Emma Gardner
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 06.23.06
We've seen carpets and rugs made with all kinds of different materials; from recycled bicycle inner tubes to soy to bamboo to selvedge, it doesn't seem like there's much that rugs can't be made from these days. Sometimes, though, you can't beat good old-fashioned wool, like these new designs from Emma Gardner. As member of The RUGMARK Foundation, Emma Gardner rugs are certified to have been made under strict labor guidelines, including no illegal child labor; a portion of the carpet price is also contributed to the rehabilitation and education of former child weavers. Gardner's previous designs have appeared in Elle, Vogue and In Style magazine; these new designs are hand-tufted from 100% sustainable New Zealand wool, and are available from 2modern.com. ::Emma Gardner Design via ::2modern Design Talk
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100% sustainable wool, sure... but 100% sustainable rugs? No, not really. I am glad to see that companies are donating portions of their proceeds to various charities, becoming members of organizations like Rugmark, pursuing the end of child labor... but there is always a need for further awareness, on the part of the consumer, and the company. One of the big buzzwords in the sustainability community is "locally grown" and "local artisans". "Support your local community!" Do you know what community you need to be a part of to make the purchase of these rugs sustainable? a)New Zealand b)India c) Connecticut d)All of the above e)It's a trick question because you can't be in two places at once. If you guessed (e) you are correct. The 100% sustainable wool travels to India where it is transformed into rugs (hopefully by properly compensated adults) and then shipped to your home (probably not in India). I don't want to poo-poo the rugs, or the company, and leave you all with a bad taste in your mouth and a lame rant, so I offer a suggestion to all companies with 100% sustainable products that are shipped globally. Charge a carbon offsetting fee and adjust the price accordingly so you aren't sticking it to the people who care. Since we are the people who care, when we see that some dollar amount goes into offsetting the cost of travelling from NZ to India to Anywhere, USA, we will rejoice and sing songs and do the Dance of Joy (thank you Balki). Until then, it's false advertising. They're not sustainable rugs even if they are made of sustainable wool from a stand-up kind of company.
Chris,
No one said they were 100% sustainable rugs, at least in this post. I think a carbon-offset fee is a great idea -- but very, very few products will ever be perfect in the eyes of all sustainability enthusiasts. Why can't we applaud the exceptional environmentally- and socially-responsible thought that went into these rugs?