Carpet America Recovery Effort

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

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CARE CA Program Q3 2020 Results Show Resilience

Despite the economic and operational disruptions caused by the pandemic, California’s carpet recycling rate rebounded to 20.5% in Q3 2020, up from 19.8% in the second quarter, according to CARE’s latest quarterly update for the California Carpet Stewardship Program. Residential carpet sales were up versus Q2, while commercial carpet sales lagged as employees worked from home and major projects were postponed.
The Program in Q3 saw:
  • 21.8 Million pounds of carpet collected (+31% vs. Q2)
  • 14.3 Million pounds of recycled output (+32% vs. Q2))
  • $5.27 Million in subsidy payouts.
Dramatic Difference
CARE continues to evaluate the pandemic impacts and review the Covid Action Plan on an on-going basis.The COVID-19 impact on both sales of new flooring as well as the carpet recycling community has been significant. According to direct feedback from a stakeholder, CARE’s COVID Action Plan “made a dramatic difference for all of us in the carpet recycling community. The industry stood on the precipice of imploding. The immediate and measured proactive initiatives undertaken by CARE… were not mere handouts, but tactical financial assistance measures that served to ensure market stability.”
View the complete presentation here:

CARE Grant Case Study: Moto’s Transportation

PROJECT DESCRIPTION


Large retailers, generating post-consumer carpet, can benefit from an on-site container specifically for carpet and pad recycling. Moto’s Transportation, an established hauling/transport company in the Sacramento area, created an avenue for local retailers to dispose of post-consumer carpet, generating an additional capacity to their services. The CARE capital grant funded the purchase of 12 trailers to place at local retailers and two trucks to haul carpet for processing at a local recycler.

LOCATION

Greater Sacramento

TIMELINE

June 30, 2019 – September 30, 2020

CARE GRANT AMOUNT

$150,000

PROJECT CHALLENGES

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a slowdown in demand as some retailers temporarily closed or saw declines in business.

Nelson Moto photo
Nelson Moto of CARE grantee Moto’s Transportation

PROJECT BENEFITS & OUTCOME

The volume of carpet collected increased significantly and quickly. By Q1 2020, 3.67 million additional pounds of carpet was collected and 3.59 million pounds in Q2 2020.

Trailers dedicated for carpet collection facilitated source separation, while simultaneously enabling retailers a significant financial benefit from the expense of sending carpet to landfill.  Moto was able to grow from servicing ten retail customers to thirty in less than a year.

“The CARE grant helped me expand my business. Applying for the CARE grant was pretty simple; my administrative team was able to easily navigate through the system.”

–Nelson Moto, President, Moto’s Transportation

IMPLEMENTATION

  • Moto leveraged established relationships to place all 12 trailers within a few months.

Visit our Post Consumer Carpet Products page.

Visit the CARE grants page. 

This is one of a series of case studies that illustrate the impact of grant funding on the carpet recycling industry in California.
CARE will offer a Cycle 2 round of grants to support capital improvements and product testing in late 2017. Sign up for updates here.

Other Grantee Case Studies:

CARE Grantee Case Study: CLEAR

CARE Grant Case Study: Florin Perkins

CARE Grantee Case Study: GHD, Inc.

CARE Grant Case Study: Napa Recycling

CARE Grantee Case Study: Safepath Products

CARE Grantee Case Study: Sierra Mat & Rubber

 

 

California Carpet Stewardship Program Results, Q2 2020: Holding On in Face of COVID

CARE has released California Stewardship Program results for Q2 2020. Despite the major impact of COVID-19 in Q2, the overall recycling rate held at 19.8%, essentially flat from Q1’s 19.9%. Calculation of the recycling rate is driven by both recycled output and sales of new carpet. Sales of new carpet were down to 14.4M square yards – an historic low. This follows an already weaker than expected Q1. Both recycled output and sales were down approximately 16%.

CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples noted “While the recycled output is a significant drop, it is actually better than expected, given the economic shutdown in key markets. According to CARE’s forecast, it looks like Q3 will show the beginning of a slow recovery. In addition, one major capacity project is expected to come online.”

Recycling Progress: CARE California Program 2019 Annual Report

annual report cover showing billboard promoting carpet recycling in SacramentoAt a time of immense strain on recycling efforts across the country, carpet recycling in California saw significant progress in 2019, according to the just-released California Carpet Stewardship Program 2019 Annual Report. While the overall California materials recycling rate has been on the decline since 2014, the California carpet recycling rate is up 58% in the same period. In addition, CARE’s prompt and multi-faceted COVID-19 Action Plan has provided critical support to the industry as it faces the economic and operational challenges of 2020.
According to the California Carpet Stewardship Program’s 2019 Annual Report:
  • The overall 2019 California recycling rate was 19%, up 27% over 2018. The national carpet recycling rate was 5%.
  • 82 million pounds of post-consumer carpet was collected before it could go to landfill.
  • 58 million pounds of recycled output was produced (up 18% from 2018).
  • Over 70% of all carpet collected was recycled, up from 53% in 2018.
The 70% recycling rate, or yield, has grown significantly over the life of the program due to investments in product testing and processing capacity, growth in markets for post-consumer carpet materials and various technological advances.

 

Through subsidies, grants and technical assistance, CARE supports increased collection and processing of carpet into products containing recycled carpet material. Twenty-five vendors currently incorporate carpet in 77 products for the automotive, construction and other industries.

 

CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples notes, “2019 was a banner year for the carpet recycling industry in California. Rising recycling rates, exciting technological innovations such as chemical recycling, growing markets and improved efficiency led to our most optimistic outlook in years. We are facing the challenges of 2020 with new determination and see encouraging signs. We actually did better in the second quarter – during maximum shelter-in-place orders – and now believe we are moving in the right direction for the second half of 2020. Feedback from the recycling community indicates the COVID-19 Action Plan has made a major difference in cash flow and their ability to continue to operate.”

 

Extensive COVID-19 Action Plan Preserves Recyclers
Beginning in March 2020, CARE’s oversight committee approved a series of emergency actions to support and assist the California carpet recycling industry as effects of the pandemic threatened the industry’s survival. Actions included extraordinary payments to recyclers in March and June, along with increased subsidy payments to recyclers, an accelerated payment schedule and relaxed reporting and proposed loan payment requirements. A total of $1.6 million has been provided to 15 recyclers, easing the pressure and allowing businesses to focus core efforts around collection and processing.

 

CA Wildfires: Carpet Recycling Transport Service Announcement

Our hearts go out to those who have been injured and/or displaced by the current stream of Wildfires across our beautiful state.  We are keeping a close eye on the areas impacted by evacuation zones as well as in the direct paths of fire. We are grateful for the efforts of all firefighters and response crews battling these blazes and wish them a safe return to their families. Our partners and their respective communities are a vital part of our program and their safety and well-being is of the utmost importance to us.

As a result of closely monitoring fire/weather/evacuation routes, we may choose to postpone a scheduled container swap service if the environment is not deemed safe.  This may include a danger present at the site itself, or to reduce the amount of traffic congestion in a designated evacuation area.

As these areas begin to recover and fire remediation processes begin, we’d like to remind all of our Drop Off Sites that we are unable to accept any post-consumer carpet material that has experienced fire damage including smoke contamination.   This material should be sent to landfill and not included in CARE collection units.

We appreciate your understanding and will do all we can to support our sites during these trying times.

Most importantly, stay safe.

Your CARE California Team

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