July 2025

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Union Grant Program Launched

As required by AB 863, CARE has launched the Installer Grant Program to provide funding for carpet recycling education/training (installation and removal techniques) and awareness that will establish, increase, improve and enhance additional California generated post-consumer carpet (PCC) collection for recycling and reuse led by unionized apprentice and journey-level carpet installers. 

Eligible applicants for Cycle U1A are:

• Joint apprenticeship programs approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards to train carpet installers.
• “Apprenticeship program” means a program approved by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for training apprentice and journey-level carpet installers in proper carpet installation, reuse, and recycling practices to maximize the chances of achieving the goals of the program.
• Active Union Representatives of a recognized flooring professional union in the state of California.

Application due date is September 30, 2025.

See full details and the Notice of Funds Available on the CARE website.

Commercial Tile Recycling Webinar Offered with USGBC-CA on July 25

CARE and US Green Building Council California are presenting a free webinar about the California Carpet Stewardship Program’s experience with the challenges and opportunities of commercial carpet tile recycling and reuse. This webinar will cover the essentials of directing commercial carpet tile for recycling or reuse. Hear from CARE’s Rob Thiess and Teddy Stray about the challenges of finding projects, managing carpet tile collection, and ensuring the longest life and highest, best use of this widely used product derived from fossil fuels. This course is eligible for 1 GBCI CE credit.

Register here.

Q1 2025 Results Show Seasonal Impact & Uncertainty

CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples reports on the Q1 2025 results for the California Carpet Stewardship Program:



Coming off a strong end to 2024, Q1 2025 exhibited the seasonal impacts normally expected. Gross collections were down 2.4 million pounds. Recycled Output was up by 0.6 million pounds, resulting in an overall Recycling Rate of 43.1% and a significant increase over the 2024 Recycling Rate of 38.5%. The target for 2025 is 37%.

Overall, going into the new year markets remained quite challenging. Demand for both nylons remain weak. New tariffs and uncertainty are a key concern. As noted previously over the last four quarters, carpet pad markets, not covered by the carpet stewardship law, also continue to be severely depressed.

Carpet sales in Q1 were 11.88 million square yards; this is the first time sales have dropped below 12 million. Overall sales in 2024 were 53.3 million square yards, about 600,000 square yards below budget and corresponding to a missed $750,000 below revenue. As a reminder, the 5-Year Plan already reflected an anticipated 32% reduction in sales over the life of the Plan.

See the presentation.

Program Highlights Encourage Recycling

CARE’s annual Program Highlights newsletter has been mailed to all retailers and licensed flooring contractors in the state. The newsletter details the California Carpet Stewardship Program’s progress in 2024, including achieving an unheard-of 38.5% recycling rate. Other articles describe the carpet assessment, carpet collection opportunities, grants, products made from post-consumer carpet material, and installer resources.

The goal of the newsletter is to raise stakeholder awareness of the Program’s advancements and challenges so that more retailers and flooring contractors are encouraged to recycle tear-out carpet and carpet tile.

View it here.

Collections Study Published

CARE has posted a study conducted to assess opportunities and barriers to attaining the 60% collection rate goal identified in the California Carpet Stewardship Program’s current 2023-2027 Five-Year Plan. The independent study collected and analyzed available data on carpet collections, as provided by CARE, in addition to new stakeholder input provided by program participants via various engagement activities including a stakeholder survey, stakeholder interviews and focus groups.

The report contains recommendations aimed at continuing to increase both the percentage and volume of total annual gross collections in pounds. CARE has prioritized five strategies from the study to build further progress toward the 2027 target and beyond.

Read the study.

Mannington Commercial Transitions to 75% Recycled Fiber

Carpet mill Mannington Commercial has announced a transition to Universal Thrive Type 6,6 fiber, now standard across its carpet platforms. Made with 75% recycled content, this premium branded fiber delivers reduced environmental impact while maintaining durability and performance.

“All of our carpet products are built with premium materials from the fiber down,” said Richard French, President of Mannington Commercial. “This fiber upgrade is part of our continued effort to offer sustainable innovation without compromise – because we believe great design should deliver on both performance and purpose.”

Read more.

CARE Welcomes New Public Drop-off Site

CARE welcomes one new public drop-off site this month:

• Oceanside Abbey Carpet & Flooring, Oceanside, San Diego County

There are currently 164 CARE public drop-off sites servicing all 58 California counties.

In addition to public drop-off sites, CARE works with the recyclers who operate some 220 private collection sites around the state.

CARE supports drop-off sites by providing at no cost:

• A container for collection
• Third-party hauling to transport carpet material to recyclers
• Promotional materials for local government and the hosting facility
• Technical assistance from CARE staff
• Ready access to micro grants that support site set-up and collection equipment/infrastructure.

To find the CARE-sponsored drop-off site closest to you, visit the drop-off site map. 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, location and business phone number. 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.

Reminder for Retailers: Assessment Compliance

Retailers are required by law to charge the current carpet assessment to all customers in the state. CalRecycle periodically inspects retailers to check current practices. To ensure compliance:

• All invoices must have the assessment clearly and correctly labeled as a separate line item.
• Retailers must purchase carpet from carpet manufacturers in compliance with the carpet stewardship law. See the list on the CalRecycle website.
• Retailers are required by law to monitor CalRecycle’s website to determine if the sale of a manufacturer’s carpet is in compliance with the carpet stewardship law.
• Retailers must retain records for three years.

Please see the Differential Assessment page of the CARE website for details.

If you are aware of a retailer that is not in compliance, please let CARE know by completing the Assessment Compliance form here.

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