Carpet Recycling

California’s Carpet Stewardship Program was created by AB 2398 (Perez, 2010)—the first extended producer responsibility (EPR) law in the nation focused on carpet. The law requires manufacturers of carpet sold in California to design, fund, and operate a comprehensive recycling program for post-consumer carpet waste.

The program is administered by Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the nonprofit stewardship organization designated by CalRecycle to implement AB 2398 and its subsequent amendments, AB 1158 (Chu, 2017) and AB 729 (Chu, 2019).

CARE has been designated as the Carpet Stewardship Organization

• View FAQ

• For Retailer specific questions

• For Manufacturer specific questions

Program Overview

Under AB 2398 and its amendments, all carpet manufacturers selling into California must participate in an approved stewardship plan. This plan must:

• Increase carpet recycling and diversion from landfills

• Support collection infrastructure, recycling technologies, and market development

• Ensure environmentally sound management practices

• Provide education and outreach to consumers and stakeholders

• Fund the program through a visible assessment (fee) paid by consumers at point-of-sale

Current Assessment Fee (as of January 1, 2024):

• $0.42 per square yard for all carpet sold in California
  (Assessment is subject to change based on program needs and CalRecycle approval.)

Recent Program Enhancements

The Carpet Stewardship Program has evolved significantly since its inception:

• AB 1158 (2017) required the inclusion of recycling rate goals and allowed CalRecycle to impose penalties for non-compliance.

• AB 729 (2019) expanded eligible uses of the carpet assessment funds to include incentives for processors and recyclers, boosting the circular economy.

California Program Results

As of 2023:

• Over 1.6 billion pounds of carpet have been diverted from California landfills since the program began.

• California’s recycling rate for carpet reached 33.5% in 2022—substantially higher than the national average of 6.3%.

• The program supports dozens of California-based recyclers, collection sites, and manufacturers that use post-consumer carpet materials.

See CARE’s Annual Reports for year-by-year progress and metrics.

CARE's Resources & Requirements

• CARE California Main Page
  Overview of the stewardship program, key contacts, data dashboards, FAQs, and updates.

• Information for Carpet Manufacturers
  Registration, labeling, compliance, and stewardship plan participation requirements.

• California Assessment Fees
  Latest fee schedule, remittance procedures, and financial documentation.

• California Carpet Recycling Grants
  CARE provides competitive grants for:

  • Capital improvements for recyclers

  • Collection site support

  • Product testing and development using post-consumer carpet

  • Educational outreach and pilot programs

Compliance & Enforcement

Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors must comply with the California Carpet Stewardship Regulation (CCR Title 14, Division 7, Chapter 11, Article 3). Key compliance obligations include:

• Labeling all carpet sold in CA as “Recyclable” with clear stewardship program identifiers

• Remitting assessments through CARE’s portal

• Ensuring only registered manufacturers’ products are sold in-state

Retailers must confirm manufacturer compliance using CalRecycle’s Approved Manufacturer List prior to sale.

Stay Up to Date!

• Join the CalRecycle Carpet Listserv to receive program updates, meeting notices, and regulatory changes.

• Attend CARE Stakeholder Meetings: Open to the public, with presentations, data review, and implementation updates.

• View CalRecycle Rulemaking Documents & Timeline: See archived notices, regulations, and public comments via CalRecycle’s AB 2398 page.