Sustainability at Carthage

Building Materials and Maintenance

50 percent of the turf on
Art Keller Field is made with recycled material.

  • The College installs bamboo flooring instead of hardwood flooring, and has chosen this environmentally friendly hardwood alternative since 2001. Bamboo is a renewable resource: Bamboo grass takes only five years to grow to maturity.

  • Other floors at Carthage are Forbo Marmoleum. Marmoleum is made with natural ingredients, contains no harmful VOCs or other toxic chemicals, and is installed with solvent-free adhesives or no adhesive at all. It has no adverse health effects during production, installation, use or disposal, and has been certified as a sustainable product.

  • All new carpeting at Carthage must be at least 35 percent recycled content. Entrance mats in all buildings were made with recycled rubber materials.

  • Only Green Seal-certified cleaning products are used on campus.

  • All Environmental Services staff members have been trained in green cleaning techniques.

  • Lighting on campus is energy-saving. The College utilizes compact fluorescent bulbs and high efficiency fluorescent lighting.

  • Exit signs are LED, consuming less energy.

  • The College uses only zero- or low-VOC paint.

  • Low-flow water fixtures are used.

  • Furniture in residence halls is made from sustainable plantation-grown wood, not primary first-growth timber or non-plantation grown teak.

  • In asbestos abatement of floor tiles, the College uses a soybean oil process to remove the mastic instead of petroleum-based products. While more expensive, it’s better for the environment and employee health.