• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Breaking Flooring NewsCarpet and Rugs

California Study Reveals What's Blocking Carpet Recycling Progress

By FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
recycling

Photo: kckate16 / Getty Images

May 26, 2025

The California Carpet Stewardship Program has completed its most comprehensive analysis yet of why post-consumer carpets end up in landfills rather than being recycled, providing new insights that could help boost the state's carpet circularity efforts.

During November 2024, the program conducted detailed waste characterization studies at California's four largest carpet processing and collection facilities. Commissioned by CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort), MSW Consultants examined representative samples of carpet materials destined for landfills over one- to two-week periods at each location.

The study revealed significant variations between facilities based on their operational practices and available end markets, but common disposal patterns emerged. The materials most frequently sent to landfills by total weight were:

  • Wool and jute carpets (25%) - the largest category of discarded materials
  • Unacceptable backing types (12%) - materials that don't fit current recycling processes
  • Carpet with excessive adhesive or glue (4.9%) - contamination that prevents processing
  • Materials disposed for undetermined reasons (5%) - indicating potential process improvements
  • Mixed fiber faces (0.1%) - complex compositions that complicate recycling

Residential carpet represented the largest portion of discarded materials, followed by carpet tile and commercial broadloom. Each sample was meticulously sorted and weighed, while facility interviews provided context for disposal decisions and material classification methods.

The findings offer the first detailed, data-driven baseline for understanding California's post-consumer carpet waste stream. While representing only a snapshot of current material flows, the study identifies specific barriers to recycling that the industry can now address through improved processing techniques, design modifications, or market development.

CARE plans to conduct similar characterization studies annually through 2027 under the current Carpet Stewardship Plan, allowing the program to track progress in material recovery rates and design for recyclability improvements over time.

The research comes as California continues to lead national efforts in extended producer responsibility programs, requiring carpet manufacturers to take greater responsibility for their products' end-of-life management and environmental impact.

Read more: CARE's New Educational Videos Released to Boost Carpet Recycling Awareness

KEYWORDS: Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) Recycling sustainability

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Flooring Installation
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Commercial Flooring
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Fishman Knoxville Tennessee location interior

From Tariff Talk to Trade Labor: Fishman's West Region Manager on Flooring Industry Challenges

salesperson meeting with clients

How to Dominate Flooring Sales: The Art of Listening Before Selling

Mimi Mulugeta and Michael Barrows

Military Vet Trades Retirement for New Flooring Venture in Alpharetta


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Growth Challenges in the Flooring Industry

What’s holding you back from growth in 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • report

    Carpet Recycling in CA Saw Significant Progress in 2019

    See More
  • CARE Logo

    Carpet Recycling Shows Progress

    See More
  • Creel

    New California Law Overhauls Carpet Recycling Program, Sparking Industry Concerns

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Ultimate_Carpet_Manufacturing_and_Claims_Training_Manual_bleed-2 (2).jpg

    The Ultimate Carpet Manufacturing, Inspection and Claims Training Manual

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\Flooring images\new FL site\oriental-rug-cleaning.gif

    Oriental & Specialty Rug Cleaning

  • interior design.jpg

    On Interior Design

See More Products
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP