By Nida Rasheed
Carpets have become a staple part of home décor or interior design for many years now. There is something about walking on such component or material which enhances the overall experience of the person. Likewise, carpets can also be associated with the idea of affluence and good taste in design. Carpets create a certain kind of ambiance like no other.

In the same manner, there are many types of carpets that people can choose from. From varying styles, colors, designs and materials, people can surely find an array of products to choose from. Nonetheless, one of the most important or initial considerations when choosing the right carpet is whether to go for a synthetic or natural one at that.

Composition of Synthetic carpets

Synthetic carpets, as the name implies, make use of artificially produced materials. One of the most prominent benefits of getting a synthetic carpet is that it is comparatively cheaper than wool carpets or those made from natural fiber. Since synthetic materials are easy to produce and acquire their production costs are comparatively lower than getting natural fibers.

Two common types of synthetic carpet are nylon and acrylic. Acrylic is very resilient to stain and has very low absorption rate of moisture. This makes acrylic carpet very easy to clean and maintain. Acrylic carpet can also be used under direct sunlight because it does not wear out upon direct exposure. Nylon, on the other hand, is well known for its exceptional strength. It is very resistant to matting.

Composition of Natural carpetss

Since natural carpet uses genuine fibers, there is a certain value in them that synthetic carpet cannot achieve despite the latter’s inexpensive and practical nature. Just like how rare gems provide a certain aesthetic and overall appeal, the same goes for natural carpet. There is nothing quite like the look a wool or other genuine materials all put together for an extraordinary floor ensemble.

Natural carpet also has a certain kind of durability which many synthetic carpets cannot achieve or perfectly mimic. Synthetic fibers are often finer and translucent which make them vulnerable to another number of things that natural carpet is not. Natural carpet also has a bounce factor. Just like how you press a ball and it returns to its original shape, the same goes for wool carpets – they do not easily get distorted unlike many synthetic carpets. Natural carpet is not easily flattened.

Making the Choice

The choice of which carpet to use ultimately depends on the preferences of the individual. Each type offers certain set of advantages and incurs a range of disadvantages. It is up to the person whom set of advantages and disadvantages they are more amendable to.

Likewise, the design value of a carpet also mostly relies on the person and how he or she will use it. The wise choice will have to be the type of carpet that accommodates the person’s budgets as well as preferences. There are many designs to choose from that it should not be problem finding the most appropriate one for your living space.

_ Have you ever felt guilty throwing away a plastic cup or plate because “it’s going to be in the landfill forever” or do you wonder how the products we use everyday are made and that process’s impact on the environment? Well new research into the development of bioplastics may free you from that guilt. Instead of creating them from polymers that are petroleum-based, renewable sources such as corn starch, vegetable fats and oils, microbiota (bacteria and fungi) and pea starch. These biomass-based products can be made to be both degradable and non-degradable.

One of the most-well known starch-based bioplastics is Plastarch Material (PSM) which is able to handle high temperatures and absorbs humidity which makes it a good material for drug capsules. Bacteria incubated with glucose, corn starch and wastewater create a polyester biopolymer called poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and its chemical properties are similar to polypropylene. A biopolymer made from oil, called Polyamide 11 (PA 11), and is made to be similar to PA12 with less greenhouse gases emitted and conventional energy sources consumed. It is also is more resistant to temperature than its petroleum-based counterpart.  

Bio-derived polyethylene which is made by fermenting sugar cane and corn is identical to the conventionally made chemical of the same name but can be recycled. It is not biodegradable but one ton less of CO2 is released during the process of making the bio-derived form. Celluloid is derived from cellulose-based bioplastics which comes from grasses, woody plants and corn stalks reduce the use of the chemicals and more bioplastic is actually generated from these sources.

Biodegradable bioplastics are typically used to making packaging for food products, disposable dishes and utensils and organic garbage bags. The advantage of these products being biodegradable is that they can be added to the compost. For those products that do not biodegrade in the landfill such as cell phone cases, piping products and carpeting, they appeal to those who want to use products made from sustainable resources.

One drawback is that using corn feed to make bioplastics increases the use of fertilizers and pesticides, land is being converted to grow the corn feed, and the process of making the plastics. But as technology advances and organic farming increases, bioplastics will be produced in a way that minimizes the environmental impact on the land and in the manufacturing process. Maybe someday your computer, tv and other electronics we use daily will be mainly composed of plastics that are more friendly to the environment.