A passionate textiles professor in Madison helped a California college system insist on buying environmentally friendly carpeting for an $83 million contract.

His work reflects growing interest in sustainable choices in carpeting, from homeowners to commercial contractors who want their buildings to be "green" from top to bottom.

"My whole research agenda for the past 26 years" has been focused on textile manufacturing and recycling issues to protect the environment, said Majid Sarmadi, 54, a professor of textile science at UW-Madison.

Carpeting has historically been an environmental offender, using huge amounts of water and energy for dyes, rinsing and drying and then ending up in landfills when it's discarded.

Robin Pharo, president of Healthy Homes, a building consultant in Mount Horeb, said people are paying more attention to the environmental and health impacts of carpeting.

"People want to use carpet, but they're really concerned about what is in it and what it introduces into the environment," she said.

Coupled with his determination and a friendship of two decades with a government purchasing  agent, Sarmadi's research led to an enormous purchase of carpeting for the Los Angeles Community College District.

His old friend is Larry Eisenberg, once director of procurement for Wisconsin's Department of Administration and now executive director, facilities planning and development, for the Los Angeles Community College District.

When voters approved the district's $2.2 billion expansion and remodeling project involving nearly 500 buildings, Eisenberg turned to Sarmadi, calling him "an incredible expert."

California has a state standard for environmentally friendly carpeting, but it's not as good as the 300 pages of specifications developed by Sarmadi, Eisenberg said.

Those requirements include solution-dyed fibers and elimination of harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, plus being 100 percent recyclable with a 30-year warranty.

The winning bid came from Tandus of Dalton, Ga., which called it the largest contract and most environmentally sustainable in the history of the flooring industry.

"We've had an overall commitment to environment and sustainability for a long, long time," said Glen Hussmann, president and chief executive officer of Tandus. Over the five-year contract, Tandus will be providing carpeting in 56 colors and patterns.

At UW-Extension, Sherrie Gruder, a sustainable design specialist, has helped develop national standards for carpeting that have been adopted by the carpet and rug industry.

Because so many builders are seeking LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, they've become more focused on details of everything they use, Gruder said.

"That system has basically caused this huge market transformation" that benefits residential consumers seeking carpeting, she said.

From carpet tiles for easy replacement to carpeting made of soda bottle plastic to carpeting that's compostable, the industry has responded to environmental concerns, Gruder said.

"Because there's such demand, there is a huge variety in the market that's good quality," she said. "It's been tested and used, and a lot of it is cost-competitive."

At Coyle Carpet One, general manager Paul Dominie is seeing so much interest in sustainability from commercial customers that the company is remodeling its Beltline showroom to showcase such products.

"Architects are asking for it, designers are asking for it," he said, and about 40 percent of his residential customers are expressing an interest.

Jim Garner, CEO of Sergenian's Floor Coverings, said many customers are trying to make sustainable choices in buying and disposal. A leader in diverting carpeting from landfills, Sergenian's collected about 240 tons of used carpeting in the first year of its reclamation program, he said.

For Sarmadi, who works in both the School of Human Ecology and the College of Engineering, protecting the environment is the focus of all 300 pages of his technical specifications.

"We have not inherited this land. We have borrowed it from our children," he said. "We must return it at least in the condition we received it."

• Look for carpets with a Green Label Plus, an industry label reflecting low chemical emissions.

• Consider natural backings of hemp, jute, cotton or natural fibers.

• Choose natural padding of jute, camel hair, mohair, natural wool or recycled fiber.

• Consider all-wool carpeting.

• Choose tack strips or non-toxic adhesives.

• Have carpet aired before installation.

• Vacuum weekly with a high-efficiency air filter.

Source: Building Green Guide, UW-Extension