Welcome to the CARE website. The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, serving as the legislatively designated Carpet Stewardship Organization (CSO) for the California Carpet Stewardship Program. The purpose of the law (AB 2398) is to increase the diversion and recycling of carpet in the state of California. Learn more.
We encourage you to join our email list to receive updates on the California Carpet Stewardship Program and resources for retailers.
Carpet Differential Assessments first took effect on April 1, 2022 and will change as needed to support the Program. See Differential Assessments page for the latest information. Current assessment amounts are:
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 here.
- Retailers are required by law to monitor CalRecycle’s internet 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 Retailer Compliance section for details.
The funding collected from the assessment is directed to:
- A set of incentives for processors and collectors involved in the recycling of post-consumer carpet.
- A grant program to facilitate capital investment in new/expanded processing capacity, along with funding product development and testing and collection. In just its first two cycles, the CARE grants program awarded $5.9 million to 26 organizations.
- Growing the drop-off site program to establishing at least one carpet drop-off site in every county in California.
All of these efforts are critical to growing market outlets and increasing diversion from landfill, as mandated by AB 2398.
As a result of these actions, CARE is seeing a steady increase in recycled pounds and dramatic growth in payouts.
Resources
CARE Program Highlights newsletter (Summer 2023)
Carpet Is Recyclable: Flyer for Flooring Professionals
Click: Point-of-Sale sign: Assessment
Click: Point-of-Sale Sign: Consumer Advice
How Is the Assessment Used?
CARE California Program 2022 Budget
The assessment funds CARE’s efforts to grow the amount of carpet that is kept out of landfill and recycled. CARE is working to comply with all legal requirements, which include:
- Payment of subsidies to recyclers to enable continuous and meaningful improvement in landfill diversion via carpet collection, recycling and the manufacture of recycled-content products
- Public outreach and education
- Convenient carpet drop-off locations for flooring professionals and contractors, most offering discounted rates.
In 2022, 92% of assessment funds went directly to these program efforts, including subsidies, grants, marketing/outreach and the drop-off site program. (see pie chart)
Now available! Revised Point-of-sale brochures free to California retailers.
CARE has created a brochure to explain carpet recycling and the updated California assessment to your customers. View it here. (revised April 2023)
Please complete the form below to request free copies of the brochure: