August 2021
Flooring Retailers Are Eligible for Self-Haul Funding
carpet trailer from 916 Floors
California-based flooring retailer and installer businesses are eligible to apply for CARE grants to purchase equipment that would enable transporting post-consumer carpet (PCC) to recycling facilities and PCC drop-off locations. Grants of up to $15,000 are available and applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout 2021. To date CARE has awarded $10 million in grants since the grants program began in 2016.

Read how one Sacramento flooring retailer used a CARE micro grant to purchase a custom trailer (see photo) that allows flooring contractors to source-separate post-consumer carpet at job sites and haul it directly to a local recycler, often saving labor hours and disposal costs. See the grant case study here.

New Drop-Off Site Welcomed
As part of our efforts to increase carpet collection for recycling across the state, CARE is pleased to announce our latest public carpet recycling drop-off site:
 
There are currently 86 CARE-supported public drop-off sites in the state, serving 53 counties.
  
CARE supports drop-off sites by providing at no cost:
  • A container for collection,
  • Third-party hauling to bring carpet material to recyclers,
  • Promotional materials for local government and the hosting facility,
  • Technical assistance from CARE staff and
  • Ready access to micro grants that support site set-up and collection equipment.
 
To find the CARE-sponsored drop-off site closest to you, visit the drop-off site map here. If there is a location, such as a supply house, landfill, transfer station, or recycling facility that you feel would work well as a drop-off site for you and other flooring professionals near you, please email CARE with the facility's name and location. A CARE staff person will call you to discuss your volume, learn more about flooring professionals’ needs in your area and work toward finding a solution.
 
In addition to public drop-off sites, CARE works with the recyclers who operate more than 190 private network collection sites around the state.
CARE Presents at CA Resource Recovery Association Conference
CARE was an actively engaged silver sponsor of the recent California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) Conference, held virtually August 16-19. CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples participated in a session along with representatives from stewardship groups PaintCare and Mattress Recycling Council about lessons learned from the COVID pandemic.
CARE Annual Conference Moves Online
In recognition of the current pandemic situation and to ensure the health of our stakeholders, the 19th CARE Annual Conference on August 31-September 1, will be a completely virtual event. There is still time to register for the Conference, which will include sessions on ID Technology, Chemical Recycling, Industry Trends and Perspectives, Lessons from COVID, Economic Forecasts and much more, including a double-barreled Awards Ceremony to recognize 2019 and 2020 Recycler and Person of the Year.
CARE on the Road
CARE staff tabled this month at the Southern California Facilities Expo in Anaheim. Product and Market Development Manager Rob Thiess (pictured speaking to an attendee) noted, “The SoCal Facilities Expo was a great place to spread the word that 'Carpet IS Recyclable!' and to meet operators of facilities such as convention centers, schools and universities, who may regularly tear out large amounts of carpet. We were able to direct potential new post-consumer carpet generators towards CARE's public drop-off site locations where appropriate."

With the growing number of Greater Bay Area drop-off sites and as a part of our targeted Regional Approach, CARE staff conducted in-person tablings at several Bay Area contractor supply stores this summer, to spread the word about where and how to recycle tear-out carpet.