Sustainability: first, we have to understand what it is and identify why it matters.

Because it does. It truly does matter.

Unfortunately, due to greenwashing, sustainability is often a term that is overused and doesn't always seem to hold a lot of meaning. As consumers, how can we really tell what is truly a sustainable choice and what is just an advertising ploy to get into our wallets?

Here at Latham Vintage Rugs we frame sustainability as making purchasing decisions based off of the long-term consequences behind our consumption.

It is the careful use of mother earth's finite resources so that we can conserve and preserve this beautiful planet for future generations. And it is one of the core pillars of our brand (more to come on that - I will have a blog post about all of the efforts we take to stay as sustainable and eco friendly in every part of our business).

The Irreversible Damage

So, admittedly, I am still learning a lot myself; weeding through education and hunting for truly sustainable brands BUT one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty is that the rug and carpet industry is damaging to our earth and is in desperate need of reevaluation.

The E.P.A. estimates that every year, about 5 billion pounds of carpeting go into landfills. That's 1 to 2 percent of the total U.S. landfill contribution, or 17 pounds of carpeting per person. Whew. Let that sink in for a minute.

These manufactured rugs are terribly damaging to the environment. They are made with synthetic materials like nylon, polyester, and acrylics - so plastic. They are massed produced because they are cheap to make and can be offered to consumers at cheap prices. This causes a cycle of burning and churning rugs - as a new trend hits the market (which they do far too often), consumers can easily replace their rug and throw their old one right into the trash. And because they are made of plastic and not biodegradable, they will sit in landfills for hundreds of years emitting harmful chemicals as they slowly decompose.

If that doesn’t bother you because 'out of site, out of mind', you are also exposed to the chemicals while these rugs live their short lives in your home. They are treated with chemicals that can pollute the air; this is called outgassing and it is terribly damaging to your lungs.

So to summarize, manufacturing of machine made rugs is harmful at every step of the process; from the toxic emitting process of production, to the outgassing in your home, and the 1,000 + years of slow decomposition. It is a true travesty.

The (Vintage) Option

So why is a vintage rug a sustainable choice? Well, wool is a completely natural fiber; it is hand spun and some weavers even using wool from their own sheep. And the dyes are all natural, usually derived from vegetables and plants that are locally sourced. And since the rugs are hand-made, they do not cause any harm in the process of their creation.

Vintage rugs are also made to be extremely durable, meaning they will live a long life. Did you know that most of the rugs offered in this shop are already between 70-120 years old and will last for centuries more? That is much longer than the 5 year life span of manufactured rugs.

Rugs that are worn over time can be repurposed and salvaged in so many creative ways; remnants can be framed, used for shoes, bags, benches or ottomans. And when a rug is ready to retire after it's long, beautiful, lived in life, it is compostable, meaning it will decompose in a short period of time and will not harm the environment as it does.

So buy vintage. Even if not from me, I can recommend other dealers who might better match your style or check out local estate sales for hidden treasures. These vintage pieces are not only incredible pieces of art and history, but they add to the charm of a collected home, and are much better for our Mother Earth.