June 2023

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CARE Releases New Round of Grant Funding for Capital Improvement and Testing

CARE’s California Carpet Stewardship Program has opened its annual cycles of capital improvements and product testing grants to advance post-consumer carpet (PCC) collection, recycling and end-product manufacturing. The Capital Improvement Grant Program – Cycle 6A will provide funding for capital improvements that will establish, increase, improve and enhance additional California-generated post‑consumer carpet (collection, reuse, recycling and/or utilization of recycled-content product manufacturing. This Cycle will accept requests up to $500,000 per project and will prefer California-based entities. Applications are due on August 1, 2023 and projects must reach completion by December 31, 2025. Visit the Grants webpage for full details about project requirements, preferred projects and the application process.

Prior cycles of CARE capital improvement grant funding helped Circular Polymers by Ascend (pictured) build and develop its carpet processing facility, which recycles tens of millions of California-sourced post-consumer carpet annually.

The Product Development/Testing Grant Program – Cycle 5B will provide funding for activities that focus on product testing, research and development and similar market development activities to improve and enhance post‑consumer carpet (PCC) recycling and utilization of recycled PCC-content product manufacturing. This Cycle will accept requests up to $50,000 per project and will prefer California-based entities. Applications are due on August 1, 2023 and projects must reach completion by December 31, 2024. Visit the Grants webpage for full details about project requirements, preferred projects and the application process.

The Program’s Cycle 5M, Micro Grants for Collection/Reuse (up to $15,000 per project), is still open to California-based entities until further notice; interested parties may apply through CARE’s easy-to-use online grant application form.

For questions about the CARE grants program, please email Abbie Beane, CARE grants manager, at ABeane@CarpetRecovery.org or visit the California Grants page.

Russ DeLozier Is New Head of CRI

Carpet industry veteran and former Board member of CARE Russ DeLozier has been named President of the Carpet and Rug Institute, the service organization for the carpet industry. During his career, Russ has held a variety of positions with DOW, Shaw Industries, J+J Flooring and Engineered Floors where he garnered extensive industry experience, particularly within sustainability and carpet recycling. He has been a frequent speaker at CARE Conferences. Russ takes over upon the retirement of Joe Yarbrough, who served at CRI since 2014 and was the most recent recipient of CARE’s Recycler of the Year award.

Reminder: Discount Recommended for All Drop-Off Sites

In order to further incentivize recycling, CARE strongly recommends that all public drop-off sites offer a minimum 20% discount off the standard tip fee for all carpet that is brought to the facility prepared for recycling. Many drop-off sites already offer reduced or even no-cost carpet recycling and see corresponding increases in their recycling rate while keeping material out of landfill.

Fees for carpet recycling are noted for each facility on the drop-off site map here.  

For questions or comments, please contact CA@CarpetRecovery.org.

Differential Assessment: Compliance Is Mandatory

The Carpet Differential Assessment (CDA) increased on April 1, 2023. All retailers who sell in the state must charge the assessment properly and otherwise comply with the carpet stewardship laws.



The current assessment amounts are:

Retailers are required by law to charge the CORRECT carpet assessment to all customers in the state.

CalRecycle periodically inspects retailers to check current practices. To ensure compliance:

• Be sure to charge the correct assessment amount (based on carpet vs. carpet tile and percentage of post-consumer content.)
• 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 here.
• 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.

trinamiX GmbH Launches New Pricing Model to Enhance Accessibility

trinamiX Mobile NIR Spectrometer being used to instantly identify carpet fiber polymer type.

trinamiX GmbH – a subsidiary of BASF – has initiated a new Spectroscopy as a Service business model, which bundles their hardware and software into one subscription fee, in order to ease adoption of trinamiX technology. With this model, the company is currently offering their Hardware + Carpet ID software package for $185/month. For those running a carpet collection site, transporting mixed carpet, or processing carpet waste, trinamiX provides a way to turn mixed carpet waste into valuable materials.

Contact Brian Schmatz for more information.

Conference Presentations Available

CARE’s 21^st Annual Conference wrapped up on April 26, with strong attendance numbers and an overwhelming (91%) approval rating from the post-Conference survey.

View Conference presentations on the CARE website.

If you have more comments to share as we prepare for the 2024 gathering, please email Feedback@CarpetRecovery.org.

Updated Drop-off Site Booklet Published

An updated booklet listing all CARE public drop-off sites has just been published. There are currently 132 CARE public drop-off sites servicing 55 California counties.

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.

View the booklet here.

Email CA@CarpetRecovery.org to request copies by mail at no cost to you.