Whanganui’s Bremworth plant putting wool carpets into rural schools

Bremworth chief executive Greg Smith wants to encourage schools to use wool carpets instead of nylon in classrooms.

Whanganui’s Bremworth plant is producing wool carpets to be placed in rural schools instead of the Government’s proposed nylon carpets.

The Ministry of Education’s plan to install $8 million worth of nylon carpet in up to 760 small or rural schools around the country was met with backlash from farming communities. The nylon carpet, made from petroleum-derived plastic, is from Milliken Group, an American-based company.

A new Wool in Education Initiative by Bremworth will mean schools due to replace their existing flooring can apply for a product subsidy equivalent to at least 30 per cent of their flooring needs.

Bremworth chief executive Greg Smith said a number of schools had contacted the company.

“The reason that we launched it was because of inquiries from schools that didn’t want any help, they just wanted to get wool carpets, and we thought ‘this is madness’.

“Let’s try and help them and encourage more schools as well.

“The whole idea of New Zealand schools not having wool carpet in them really prompted us to consider what we could do to solve it, particularly when we have a focus in this country on sustainability being led by the Government.”

Smith said putting synthetic carpets in schools was perpetuating the use of petrochemical-based fibres when there was a natural alternative in wool carpets.

“The easiest thing that the Government could do to support our children and farming community is to specify the use of wool carpets in government departments, schools and Kāinga Ora healthy homes.”

The current low price of wool has made turning over a profit from wool a struggle for Whanganui farmers.

In July, Ministry of Education leader infrastructure and digital, Scott Evans, told the Otago Daily Times Milliken’s carpet tiles were fully recyclable; and that recycling was an important requirement in the ministry’s specifications.

“When evaluating the tenders, we also considered health and safety and fire retardancy. It is crucial that any flooring installed in a school environment meets the fire-testing standards of the New Zealand Building Code,” Evans said in a statement.

“According to the tender documents, the chosen carpet tiles have been tested for critical radiant flux and meet the fire requirements of the New Zealand Building Code for education buildings.”

Solution-dyed nylon met the ministry’s product requirements and fulfilled its recycling and carbon footprint goals. It was also a more cost-effective use of public funds, he said.

North Canterbury’s Rotherham School principal Cheryl Barbara said the Government’s move went against rural values and was offensive to the wider farming community which had been struggling over the past few years.

“We are told to teach the kids about sustainability, yet the Government isn’t actually practising what they preach.

“It’s beyond belief that they are stipulating imported synthetic carpets in rural schools when we are a wool-producing nation - particularly as larger urban schools have the option to install carpets of their choice.”

Smith said Bremworth did not apply for the Government tender because it called specifically for a carpet tile.

“Bremworth doesn’t make wool carpet tiles, and broadloom carpet, which has been used in schools in Australia and New Zealand for decades, wasn’t even considered in the specification in the first place.”

Smith said he expected to hear from more rural schools that were interested in installing wool carpets.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.