Eco Seagrass

Natural Fibre Alternative

This article looks \at Eco Seagrass, the eco characteristics of this natural material.

Description
♦ Seagrass, the salt marsh grass plant is grown in water flooded paddy or sea fields
♦ Leaves are harvested by hand, dried and spun into thick fibres
♦ Natural colours are green and light brown tones
♦ Naturally smooth outer skin with a soft sheen
♦ Course basket weave, fine and standard weave herringbone and cross weave patterns available with wefts of other natural fibres to add colour
♦ Natural irregularities in colour and weave

Uses
♦ Flooring: floor coverings, rugs – suitable for low traffic areas, not suitable for stairs
♦ Walls: woven wall coverings
♦ Accessories: baskets, woven goods
♦ Architectural: Roof thatching

Advantages
♦ High stain resistance
♦ Good anti static properties
♦ Naturally fire resistant
♦ Good noise and impact absorption properties
♦ Good thermal insulating properties
♦ Minimal moisture absorption unlike other natural fibres
♦ Low to medium cost
♦ Comfortable underfoot

Disadvantages
♦ Natural colour will fade over time
♦ Difficult to clean
♦ May require frequent cleaning
♦ Fibres cannot be dyed
♦ Furniture will make indentations
♦ Chairs on rollers will damage woven floor coverings
♦ Fibres may react to altering climates and humidity

Embodied Energy
♦ Manufacturing is mostly done by hand, thus low embodied energy levels
♦ Importing the material and product into global countries adds considerably to the level of embodied energy through transportation and distribution

Source/Origin
♦ Farmed and harvested along the coast or riverbanks in Southeast Asia, China and Vietnam

Renewable
♦ Yes fully

Environment & health
♦ Some uncertainties about the use of pesticides and preservatives during farming and the production process
♦ Adhesives can be water based, low VOCs or zero VOCs
♦ Floor coverings are typically backed with latex or urethane to prevent the installation adhesive seeping through
♦ Seek water based adhesives

Performance
♦ Durable and hardwearing

Recyclable
♦ n/a

Disposal / Biodegradable
♦ Fully biodegradable

Go back to the Eco materials main page


Return from Eco seagrass to the homepage