Most Environmentally Friendly rug Materials

When it comes to choosing a rug for your home, finding a material that is environmentally friendly may be an important factor that you want to consider. The most environmentally friendly rug materials are often rugs made from natural fibers. Natural fiber rugs are not synthetic or chemically treated, and they often come from plants. Many of these natural fiber rugs are made with renewable resources.
When dealing with natural fiber rugs, you have the benefit of making a wise decision for the planet, but there are some important things to keep in mind. Natural fiber rugs tend not to do well around moisture, so make sure to keep them out of bathrooms and mudrooms. Basements are not well suited for them either. On the other hand, natural fiber rugs are great at repelling dirt, providing natural insulation, and they often are hypoallergenic.
Here are the most environmentally friendly rug materials and their benefits, as well as some of our favorite rugs made with these materials.
Wool carpet
Wool is a very popular rug material that comes from sheep and goats. Wool is entirely natural as long as no chemicals are added when coloring or preserving the wool. Wool is much more durable than rugs made from synthetic fibers, which makes wool rugs one of the best choices on the market.
Wool is naturally stain-resistant due to the organic coating on each fiber that repels water and stains. The fibers are curled like springs, so it is difficult to wear down wool pile, which makes wool great for heavy foot traffic areas in the home. Wool is naturally hypoallergenic, acts as a natural air purifier, and does not support the growth of mildew. Wool naturally insulates the home, providing warmth and year-round humidity control.
Wool rugs come in colorful, intricate designs, as well as more simple and modern patterns. Wool can be brightly colored or come in natural hues.
Jute carpet
Jute is another durable natural fiber that is perhaps one of the most eco-friendly materials available. This biodegradable and recyclable material is derived from a tropical plant. The fibers are spun together into strong threads to make rugs, mats, hessian bags, and twine. Jute has been nicknamed “the golden fiber” because its natural color is somewhere between off-white and brown. Jute is second only in production to cotton as the world’s most popular textile.
Many jute rugs come in their natural state, while others are dyed. Even when colored, jute rugs maintain their down-to-earth nature. This orange round rug is colorful, yet still very boho. This beautiful jute rug has pops of indigo blue that contrast nicely with the natural color of jute. Then you have something very different, like this jute rug that is completely colored.
Sisal carpet
Sisal is a renewable and sustainable rug material that is very durable. Sisal is biodegradable, naturally, stain resistant and the process of growing sisal is very eco-friendly. Roughly 1,000 fibers are extracted from a single leaf.
This affordable material is also naturally insulated, reducing humidity and heating and cooling costs. Sisal is very easily dyed and bleached, making it very versatile too. Even so, sisal is widely popular in its most natural state, like this natural taupe rug or this natural tan rug. You’ll often see sisal rugs with a fabric border, like this rug with a black border.
Seagrass carpet
Another well-loved environmentally friendly rug material is seagrass. This natural material is durable and easy to clean. In most cases, seagrass is not dyed and is simply left as is. The variety of natural colors seen in seagrass range from khaki tan to sage green.

Seagrass is highly stain-resistant. The natural wax coating on seagrass fibers helps prevent dirt from settling in. Like other natural fiber rugs, you’ll find a lot of plain seagrass rugs with a colored cotton border. We love this light seagrass rug with a bold, black border, and this seagrass rug with a bright turquoise border.