Step to It: Keeping Sustainable Flooring Options on Even Footing
- Words by Peppermint
photos SUPPLIED BY CARPET COURT
When looking for spaces to make sustainable selections in your home, the answer might be hiding beneath your feet. The plush, cosy feel of a good carpet under your toes can be a treat for the senses, particularly on a cold winter’s morning, but it may harbour hidden costs, for both the environment and your own health.
Many carpets on the market are made from synthetic, petroleum-based materials, and are filled with toxic chemical dyes, adhesives and glues. These mixtures are what create the distinctive ‘new carpet smell’ – actually the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can pollute the indoor air quality of your house – and take a serious toll on the environment in their production and disposal processes.
Those looking for more environmentally friendly floor coverings can turn to natural fibre options, including plant-based materials such as jute, sisal, seagrass and coir (coconut fibres), or the king of natural carpeting – wool. Biodegradable, recyclable, naturally stain-resistant and durable, wool can stand up to a lot of being stood on without wearing out. This makes it a good long-term investment, but it is an investment, often carrying a hefty price tag we can only hope goes back to keeping those sheep in the good grass.
If you’re hoping to be more economical in your environmentalism, there are affordable alternatives. Created by Italian firm Aquafil, ECONYL® regenerated nylon is a 100% regenerated nylon made from synthetic waste like industrial plastic, fishing nets reclaimed from the ocean and even old carpets rescued from landfills.
The production of ‘virgin’ nylon requires worrying amounts of water and oil, and emits a substantial amount of nitrous oxide which has significant global warming potential as a greenhouse gas. (On a per-molecule basis, nitrous oxide has 265 times the atmospheric heat-trapping ability of carbon dioxide.) The end product is non-biodegradable and, according to Good On You, is estimated to make up to 40% of man-made plastic waste in the oceans.
In contrast, ECONYL® regenerated nylon is created using a closed-loop regeneration system which uses less water and creates less waste than traditional nylon production methods. Waste is collected, cleaned and shredded, depolymerised to extract nylon, polymerised, transformed into yarn, and then re-commercialised into textile products. Infinitely recyclable without losing quality, the aim is to decrease global nylon production by regenerating that which is already in circulation and replacing virgin nylon in everyday products, clothes and furnishings.
Initially picked up by ethically focused luxury fashion brands like Stella McCartney, ECONYL® regenerated nylon is now available through more mainstream accessible vendors, such as Carpet Court, whose eco-friendly carpeting range contains an ECONYL® regenerated nylon collection.
ECONYL® yarn carpets boast all the benefits of nylon – durability, affordability and resistance to stains and fading – without compromising on the climate cost. They’re also lower in VOCs making the carpets allergen friendly and less inclined to impact your indoor air quality. Gentle on your feet, the ECONYL® regenerated nylon carpets boast a dense cut pile, and twist fibre that’s warm in the winter and welcoming in the summer.
At the end of the day, every material has its impact – with no commercial recycling facilities that recycle used carpets and rugs currently available for the general public in Australia, consider re-use and responsible disposal options at the end of its lifecycle too – and if you do choose to carpet your space, think of Mother Earth as you deck out your hearth.
This article was produced in collaboration with Carpet Court. Step to investigating the possibilities offered by ECONYL® regenerated nylon with Carpet Court’s eco-friendly range of carpets, available in an array of colours from understated neutrals to rich greys.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
