California Legislature Passes Bill to Increase Carpet Recycling

Sacramento, CA, September 25, 2017-Last week, the California Legislature passed a bill that will require carpet manufacturers to increase recycling and address the environmental concerns posed by the production and disposal of carpet.

A coalition of environmental, public health, local governments, carpet industry representatives, and unions supported the legislation, and now urge Governor Brown to sign it into law.

In 2016 alone, over 257 million pounds of carpets were dumped in landfills (about 2% of total disposed) and over 20 million pounds were burned in incinerators, just in California.

In 2010 California became the only state to require carpet manufacturers to implement a stewardship program to increase the recycling of carpet (AB 2398, Perez).

AB 1158 would reform the program by mandating the industry increase the rate of carpet recycling to rate 24% by 2020, ending the consumer subsidization of carpet incineration, incentivizing the production of more recyclable carpets, and providing proper training for carpet installers. The bill is authored by Assemblyman Kansen Chu (D-San Jose), and co- authored by Assemblyman Mark Stone (D-Santa Cruz).