CRI Responds to AB 863 Being Signed into Law

Dalton, GA, October 2, 2024-California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 863 (Aguiar-Curry) into law, which makes changes to the state’s existing and successful carpet recycling stewardship program.

According to CRI, AB 863 will replace the current carpet recycling program, which has consistently met state goals, with a complicated new program that is both untested, unproven, and more costly. Experts have predicted the new mandates will increase costs for California consumers and the state, putting California jobs at risk and jeopardizing an already existing and successful carpet recycling program.

“The passage of AB 863 is detrimental to the state of California, California consumers and the entire carpet industry, and it upends progress that has been made by the industry to advance the state’s ambitious environmental goals,” said Russ DeLozier, president of The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). “While there will be ramifications with this legislative outcome including implications for consumers, manufacturers, and retailers, we look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders including industry, the legislature, the administration, and CalRecycle on future efforts to improve the program and continue working towards California’s ambitious environmental goals.”

The ongoing carpet recycling program has hit significant milestones, including:

* increasing the state’s carpet recycling rate from 4% in 2012 to 41% in 2024,

* collecting over 1.2 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet since 2011, and

* expanded collection to every county in the state with over 350 collection sites across California at the end of 2023.

Says CRI, the current carpet program’s successful and ongoing results now face an uncertain future, as AB 863 will have implications that have not been carefully or thoughtfully considered.