by Brianna Crandall — July 11, 2011—California AB 2398, the nation’s first carpet-specific recycling law, went into effect July 1. Signed into law on September 30, 2010, the legislation requires that all carpet sold or shipped into California must include a $0.05/square yard assessment. The funds raised from this assessment will be used to increase the amount of carpet that is diverted and recycled from California landfills.
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.
Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the carpet stewardship organization responsible for administering AB 2398, says everyone associated with the organization has spent recent weeks assisting carpet manufacturers, retailers and dealers to prepare for the law’s requirements.
CalRecycle will provide oversight for the AB 2398 program, which requires carpet manufacturers to participate in an approved carpet stewardship program as well as conduct consumer education programs.
More information on the California Carpet Stewardship Bill is available on the CARE Web site, and on CalRecycle’s Carpet Stewardship Program Web page.
