When building or renovating our homes, we now need to look at the long term environmental impact of the materials we are bringing into it.
From carpet, hard flooring, window treatments, paints, furniture fabric, insulation and kitchens – just choosing a product can be confusing! You then need to consider things such as form, function, colour, durability, warranties, product reviews and the safety of your family!
I’ll be providing helpful knowledge to make life a whole lot easier when it comes to making these decisions and helping the planet at the same time.
Plastic is a versatile and abundant material that comes in many obvious forms, but plastic is also included in synthetic carpet, upholstery, curtains, clothing. Thankfully, we are part of an era who are more aware of the global implications and solutions.
Wool
100% natural, biodegradable, and renewable. Harrisons wool is grown in New Zealand’s high country so you can support local businesses too. It can breath and offer thermal insulation, meaning a warm home in winter and a cool home in summer.
Wool is also the best carpet choice for allergy and asthma sufferers due to its resistance to bacteria, mould, and mildew.
TIP: Wool carpets come in a variety of loop piles, adding texture, layers and luxury to any space.
Synthetic Carpets
Synthetic Carpets have improved significantly over recent times, like Harrisons Zen3 carpets, designed with performance, sustainability, and health in mind with plant-based ingredients in the mix.
Zen3 carpets like Rossini and Scala hold the Red List Free healthy carpet certification. The Red List Free label addresses three key concerns: Where it comes from, what’s it made of, what happens at the end of the products lifecycle? These guys take chemicals seriously. Also, look out for the new green Environmentally Certified badge on our carpets. You can now choose from 30 environmentally certified carpets, making it easy to find a carpet in your price bracket – these carpets all comply with the Code of Practise for Environmental Management which provides a guide to good environment management in all aspects of carpet manufacturing, and the subsequent carpet life cycle performance.
TIP: Thanks to permanent stain protection build into every Harrisons Zen3, all you need is cold water to remove the most stubborn household food and beverage spills.
Hard Flooring
Harrisons Summit (Hybrid collection) is Green Tag certified, which requires complete transparency from the manufacturers to qualify. Its not only about how the hard flooring is made, its about local sourcing and ethical labour as well.
Tip: Our Hybrid products can be used in wet areas so a cohesive look to your home.
Curtain Fabrics
Indulgence has a OEKO-TEX label. This means every component of the textile has been tested for harmful substances. Products carrying the STANDARD 100 label frequently gain consumer trust and can be found in baby clothes, organic clothing etc.
TIP: For new curtains, opt for floor-length as they keep in the heat versus shorter curtains, and Roman blinds should sit close to the window frame, reducing the air gap.
Roller Blinds
Our most popular roller blind fabrics are linen inspired. They are Greenguard Gold certified, making them the perfect choice for schools and healthcare facilities. Our Linsque, Sanctuary, Spectre and Ecolibrium styles all hold a Greenguard label.
Tip: Jersey roller blinds are my go-to, a light filtering blind with a matching colour block out blind. A terrific range of colours, easy-clean, PVC free and flame makes this range a firm favourite.
Paint
The production of paint usually isn’t planet-friendly, so I recommend looking for the Environmental Choice NZ Logo on Resene paints. This is an initiative endorsed by the Ministry for the Environment, aiming to minimise the adverse environmental impacts generated by the production, distribution, use and disposal of products.
Tip: All our carpets are colour matched to Resene paints, removing any guesswork when coordinating with walls.
Insulation
Typically, the largest part of any power bill is temperature control. A well-insulated home controls your home’s temperature, keeping you and your family warm in winter and cool in summer, minimising energy waste and saving money on heating bills.
Go solar powered
Join thousands of Kiwis going solar powered with Harrisons Energy. You will save your wallet, as well as the planet.
Anita Shirley’s website: thedesignstudio.nz
