Carpet America Recovery Effort

Developing Market Based Solutions for the Recycling & Reuse of Post-Consumer Carpet

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California Program’s Q1 Results Released

CARE opened 2020 with momentum and great anticipation for expending recycled output, new capacity coming online and new market opportunities for the California Carpet Stewardship Program. However, carpet sales were lower than expected so that the flow of used carpet to recyclers was more difficult to secure. Coupled with ongoing permit delays and the failure of PG&E to deliver on promises to supply power to a new recycling facility, recycled output was down from Q4 2019. The last few weeks of March also saw the initial impacts of the pandemic. Q1 marked the first time since 2015 that we did not see an on-going uptick in the recycling rate.

The full impact of the pandemic will be seen in Q2 and beyond. Efforts in the second quarter are focusing on continued support for recyclers and key stakeholders as they work to rebuild their capacity and move product. Given that demand for output remains strong in several sectors, and the expectation the auto sector will rebound, CARE is still optimistic 2020 will see renewed growth.

See details in the presentation below.

 

Pandemic Response Action Plan for California Carpet Recyclers

CARE Unveils Ambitious Action Plan to Support California Carpet Recyclers Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic
Industry Facing Unprecedented Challenges; Immediate Help Needed
 Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is taking a series of emergency actions to support and assist the California carpet recycling industry, as effects of the pandemic threaten the industry’s survival. Ten actions have been approved by CARE’s oversight committee and reviewed with CalRecycle. Actions (listed below) include a one-time payment to recyclers, a temporary 90-day increased subsidy payment, accelerated payment schedule and relaxed reporting and proposed loan payment requirements. See the letter to CalRecycle outlining the action plan here.

 

CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples notes, “Cash flow considerations for the recycling community were our primary concern in forming this action plan. The current crisis, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the plunge in oil prices, has seriously interrupted the supply chain for new carpet sales and the flow of post-consumer carpet (PCC) materials into new products. Additionally, the automotive sector, a major user of post-consumer nylon carpet material, has been shut down. The depth and duration of the impact to our industry is currently unknown and cannot yet be quantified.”
The following six actions will be taken by CARE within the authority provided to it via statute and CARE’s approved Five-Year Plan. CARE will:
  1. Issue a one-time payment to each qualified recycler, calculated as the average monthly subsidy received over last 12 months. CARE estimates the one-time payment will total approximately $1.13 million. This payment will not affect the cash reserve.
  2. Pay 80% of earned subsidies after initial reporting by recyclers (as opposed to the usual 40 to 45 days). The situation will be reassessed after 90 days.
  3. Monitor retail sales and PCC availability to aid recyclers in planning for dramatically reduced raw material flows.
  4. Institute an additional temporary $0.02/lb. subsidy for PCC collection for 90 days, effective April 1 (total $0.04/lb.) This adjustment will be in place for 90 days, through the end of June. CARE is not increasing the current approved Plan-based Collector Sorter Entrepreneur subsidy; it is providing a temporary collection incentive to address rapidly changing market conditions.
  5. Coordinate and communicate with other Product Stewardship groups to identify the best ways to tackle shared challenges.
  6. Suspend routine audits for 90 days. This applies to all recipients of California subsidy payments and does not suspend the requirement to comply with Agreed Upon Procedures (AUP). The AUP suspension does not apply to mills. CARE will revisit the status in 90 days to determine if a further delay is warranted.
In addition, CARE has requested that CalRecycle take the following actions:
  1. Designate Recycling as Essential Infrastructure and Essential Businesses.
  2. Suspend all Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) loan payments(P&I) for 6 months. RMDZ loans are a major debt service requirement for many recyclers, including carpet. This would help with cash flow during the crisis.
  3. Support action to request that utilities not cut off service to any commercial enterprise for 90 days.
  4. Work with Governor Newsom’s staff to stop any commercial enterprise eviction actions for 90 days.
All qualified California subsidy recipients are eligible for these actions. The industry recycled more than 58 million pounds of post-consumer carpet in 2019.
CARE will be monitoring the situation carefully and considering if additional actions need to be taken.

See the letter to CalRecycle outlining the action plan here.

New Flyer Highlights California Program’s Progress

image of CARE 2020 News Update for RetailersCARE has published a four-page flyer that describes the California Carpet Stewardship Program and recent progress, aimed at informing retailers. The flyer details CARE’s work with retailers, installers, manufacturers, processors and local government to increase the amount of carpet collected, kept out of landfill and made into useful new products. There have been exciting developments and innovations that mean real progress for carpet recycling in California.

The Spring/Summer 2020 Highlights can be viewed here.

It will be mailed to all California retailers later in the year when the COVID-19 situation abates.

This is an updated version of the flyer that was originally posted in March 2020.

In Ground/On Ground Guidelines for Post-Consumer Carpet Material

CARE has drafted guidelines for any use of post-consumer carpet materials that go into an application that involves on-the-ground or in-the-ground usage. Such applications might include equestrian products, water filtration products, soil amendments, etc..

It is important to conduct due diligence with the development of any new product that is being applied to land, or which goes on or in the ground, to ensure that the product provides beneficial performance and no harmful impacts to human health or the environment.

See the guidelines here.

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