California’s carpet recycling rate has improved for the fifth consecutive year, with Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) citing financial incentives, including grants, as a key driver of the continued growth.
This progress aligns with compliance to the state’s Carpet Stewardship Law, as outlined in Assembly Bill 2398, AB 1158, and AB 729. In September 2024, state legislators passed AB 863, which further revised the program to include a carpet-to-carpet recycled content mandate of 5% by 2028, required sorting at an approved collection site by 2029 and set reimbursements while changing the recycling formula.
“Our efforts at growing collection, reuse, recycling and innovations in market development have paid off,” said Bob Peoples, CARE executive director. “Recyclers have collected more than 1.3 billion pounds of old carpet in California since the program started.”
He further noted that 2025 already is exceeding recycling targets, “despite the toughest market conditions since the financial crisis of 2008.”
The distribution of supplemental subsidies has strengthened the carpet market and its supporting infrastructure. These grants are part of CARE’s ongoing efforts initiated in the March 2020 COVID-19 Action Plan, which focus on improving recycling in the state.
A total of 15 grants, amounting to $881,000, were awarded to 14 entities to enhance collection networks and research fiber identification and difficult-to-recycle post-consumer carpet (PCC) components.
In 2024, 82.7 million pounds of carpet were collected, an increase from 78.9 million in 2023. The recycling efficiency rate reached 90.5%, up from 83.7% in the previous year. The program achieved its highest annual recycling rate to date at 38.5%, gradually increasing from 20.9% in 2020 when it started. This rate exceeds the 2024 goal of 34%.
In addition to providing grants, CARE increased the number of drop-off sites to 159, opening 16 new locations in 2024. The program services all 59 counties in California, with one site available for every 450,000 residents in each county, according to the organization.
As the market for recycled carpet continues to grow, so do employment opportunities, with CARE reporting that more than 680 jobs support the industry. The report indicated that the program surpassed its goals for carpet reuse and for the number of products made from PCC, while also reducing carpet disposal.
The organization has outlined a 12-point strategy through 2027 aimed at further increasing carpet recycling rates and infrastructure. This plan includes a target of reaching a 45% recycling rate by 2027.
Key objectives of the plan include enhancing recyclability and growing the market for products made from post-consumer carpet. CARE aims to improve collection rates to 60% by 2027 through the expansion of drop-off infrastructure. The roadmap also targets an annual recycling efficiency rate of 75% through 2026 while building capacity and ensuring that 90% of California residents are within 15 miles of a location accepting carpet from flooring contractors by the end of 2027.
A version of this story appeared in Resource Recycling on Sept. 16.
