Tretford Cord Carpet, known in Australia as 'the goat hair carpet,’ has a unique structural look and an exciting palette of 48 colours. It is widely used in commercial, education, retail, hospitality and residential applications.
Tretford is in high demand because of its strong environmental attributes. These are due to the inherent nature of the product, from the composition of renewable fibres down to the production processes involved in its manufacture—processes that are under continuous development to achieve the highest standards of environmental performance. Tretford’s manufacturers have produced an environmental statement that reflects their commitment to this.
Made in Ireland for over 30 years at the Waterford factory, this is the only carpet Tretford manufactures and is sold around the world.
» Learn more on the Gibbon Group website
Sustainability attributes
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Ecospecifier rated
Ecospecifier conducts life cycle assessments to help architects, designers, builders and specifiers to choose environmentally preferable products and materials. The Ecospecifier Knowledge Base provides detail on the environmental performance of products and technologies under various rating schemes, including Green Star, BASIX, the Building Code of Australia, NABERS and ABGR.
ISO 14001 compliant
The international environmental management standard ISO 14001 assists manufacturers with the management, control and reporting of their environmental performance. Developed by the International Organization for Standardization, the standards enable manufacturers to develop a streamlined environmental management system (EMS) to minimize the impact of their operations on the environment. Compliant companies can seek certification from accredited auditors.
Emits low VOCs
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emissions from carbon-containing compounds that pollute the air. VOCs are released from many common building products including solvents, paints and lacquers, adhesives, fabrics, carpets, printed paper, board products and composite timber. Rating schemes often categorize VOC content as low, very low, ultra low and zero.
Reduces water consumption
Products that reduce water consumption can make a valuable contribution to managing natural resources. There are several types of products that reduce water consumption – products that actively save water (water tanks, for example); products that enable the reuse of water (grey water recycling systems); and products that consume minimal water in operation (water-efficient tapware and appliances, self-cleaning glass).
Reduces energy consumption
Making use of materials and products that reduce energy consumption can have a major influence on the environmental impact of a building project. Teaming passive design strategies (orientation, building shape, natural lighting and ventilation) with low-energy lighting, thermally efficient insulation and low-e glass can reduce a project’s reliance on heating and cooling systems, resulting in lower energy consumption. Likewise, use of energy-efficient appliances, alternative energy systems (solar, hydro) and building management systems can also reduce the project’s carbon footprint.
Reduces heating or cooling load
Heating and cooling load is the amount of energy consumed to maintain a desired temperature within a building. Project design – and the materials and products employed – plays a significant role in optimizing the performance of heating and cooling systems, to reduce the energy expended on internal climate control. Elements that affect heating and cooling load include heat transferred through glass windows and doors, infiltration of outside air, and the impact of people, lighting and electronic equipment.
Low embodied energy
Like embodied energy, embodied water is the water used to create and distribute a product or material (as distinct from water used during its operation). Reducing the amount of embodied water in a product’s manufacture and distribution can lessen its impact on the environment.
Low embodied water
Embodied energy refers to the energy consumed in producing and distributing products and materials. This spans the extraction of resources, processing and manufacturing, and distribution of the final product. Products and materials with low embodied energy generally require simpler manufacturing processes – for example, natural resources such as timber require less processing than aluminium and other metals. Specifying products with low embodied energy can reduce pollution, depletion of resources and degradation of the environment.
Packaging is reduced
The aim is to reduce the amount of packaging required to effectively house and transport products and materials, resulting in less waste material destined for landfill, lower manufacturing costs for producers, and reduced transportation costs. Some manufacturers implement returnable packaging systems or heavily in recyclable packaging. Paper, glass, metal and board packaging can be readily recycled.
Designed for disassembly
Design for disassembly is a manufacturing strategy that anticipates the future reuse of individual components or materials, enabling a product to be broken into its constituent parts for reuse or recycling. Design for disassembly can make recycling easier, resulting in less use of new resources, less energy consumption and less landfill. In economic terms, design for disassembly gives further value to products beyond their original life. Disassembling a structure rather than demolishing it can also reduce impact on the environment by reducing dust released during demolition, reducing land degradation and reducing transport costs of disposing of materials to landfill.
Made from rapidly renewable material
Rapidly renewable materials regenerate more quickly than their typical harvest demand – for example, grown and harvested in 10 years or less. Popular rapidly renewable materials include bamboo, cork, wool, straw, natural linoleum, soy bean composites, sugarcane bagasse, kenaf and hemp. Rapidly renewable materials should be produced naturally and quickly, without significant environmental or air-quality impact or increased erosion.
