CARE Begins Promoting California Recycling Law

Dalton, GA, June 7, 2011 -- California consumer support is needed to ensure the success of a new, carpet stewardship law in California, according to the Carpet America Recovery Effort.

The new California law will increase the recycling of carpet into valuable new products, preserve landfill space, reduce dependency on fossil fuels and create green jobs in California communities, CARE said.

The legislation is the first product stewardship law in the country to specifically address carpet. Beginning July 1, a $.05 per square yard stewardship assessment will be added to the sale of all carpet sold or shipped into California.

The assessment will appear as a separate, after-tax line item to raise consumer awareness about carpet recycling.

The revenue generated will be used to incentivize carpet recycling by rewarding entrepreneurs who recycle carpet and produce marketable products made from post-consumer carpet.

The carpet product stewardship program will be administered by CARE.

"CARE has developed communications materials for consumers, such as signs, store placards and informational flyers," said Georgina Sikorski, executive director of CARE.

"These materials are being distributed and will be in stores by July 1."

She said that industry and government alone cannot force recycling to happen. An increase in recycling will need to be driven largely by consumer demand.

"As more new carpet customers ask to have their old carpet recycled instead of being landfilled, retailers are finding ways to make that happen," Sikorski said.