Construction and Demolition Recycling

Carpet

• Introduction
• Reuse
• Recycling
• Carpet Recycling Programs
• For More Information

Introduction

Used carpet and rugs generated nationwide in 2001 amounted to around 2.6 million tons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste: 2001 Update. Due to unfavorable market conditions, including limited demand for recovered nylon and other carpet plastics and the relatively low cost of raw materials, there are limited opportunities for carpet recycling in the U.S.

In order to meet this challenge, in January 2002 California joined with several other states, the US EPA and the carpet industry in a Carpet Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The goals of the MOU are to divert 40 percent of waste carpet generated by 2012. Spearheading the drive toward the accomplishment of this goal is the Carpet America Recovery Effort or CARE. This page lists facilities that accept used carpets and carpet pad. By reusing or recycling your used carpet pads and carpets you may receive cash for the used carpet pads, you help save landfill space, and you help achieve the diversion goals of your city or county.

Reuse

Donations
Habitat for Humanity, which accepts like-new construction materials for affordable housing, is one organization that may find use for good reusable carpet, although it may require a minimum carpet quantity of about 800 square feet. Habitat for Humanity is listed in your local phone directory.

Reinstallation and Leasing
Services offered by some carpet companies avoid outright discarding of used carpet. Milliken Carpet, (706) 880-5511, offers carpet products that can be cleansed, rejuvenated, restyled, and reinstalled as fresh carpet. Carpet leasing is another option, wherein the supplier will take carpet back after the end of the term of the lease. The carpet supplier will then recycle the worn carpet, ideally into a new carpet.

Recycling

Recycling of Carpet
Used carpets may be used as a component to produce other products such as auto parts, carpet pad, plastic lumber, and parking stops.

Los Angeles Fiber Company a textile recycling company converts waste carpet into carpet pad and other pad products.

Tandus is a commercial carpet manufacturer headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, that operates carpet mills throughout the world, including a facility located in Southern California. C&A Floor coverings, a Tandus Company, established the industry’s first process to turn old carpet into new carpet. With reclamation facilities located throughout California, C&A is actively working to divert carpet from our state's landfills. The reclaimed carpet is reprocessed and incorporated into the backing of new carpet products. Since the inception of this program, C&A has kept more than 100 million pounds of carpet from being incinerated or landfilled. Contact: Mike Milhous (916) 806-8502.

While most reprocessing facilities are located outside of California, some carpet mills and manufacturers provide collection centers in several California locations. These collection centers are listed in this list of carpet and pad recycling facilities.

Recycling of Carpet Pads
You can send your rebond carpet pad to foam recyclers in your area. They usually will pay for used rebond foam pad. A number of these pad recyclers are also listed in the Board's list of carpet and pad recyclers.

Check your local directory for listings of other pad recyclers (check under "Recycling Centers" in the yellow pages).

For More Information/Other Resources

To add a company to the list…
If you would like to add a company to the Board's list of facilities, or if you have other carpet recycling questions, please contact the Integrated Waste Management Board at the number listed at the bottom of this page.

For more information on C&D recycling…
For more information about recycling of other construction and demolition (C&D) materials, go to the Board’s C&D website. You can view, print, or download fact sheets and other publications. The site also includes a searchable database of C&D recyclers.

California Materials Exchange
The Board’s California Materials Exchange (CalMAX) program helps businesses find markets for materials traditionally discarded, including C&D materials. Users can search CalMAX listings  on the website.

Carpet and Rug Institute
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), whose member companies manufacture a large share of carpet sold in the United States, has formed a recycling committee which is actively working to resolve technical problems in carpet recycling, to study life cycle costs, to develop viable collection systems, and to monitor and encourage the use of alternate technologies to facilitate carpet recycling. For additional information, call CRI's headquarters at Dalton, Georgia, (706) 278-3176.

Carpet America Recovery Effort
The Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE, is the third party organization coming out of the Carpet Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding that is working to develop solutions to the problem of used carpet entering the waste stream. CARE intends to divert 40 percent of waste carpet by 2012. CARE provides technical and financial assistance to entrepreneurs working to make products from postconsumer carpet.

Last updated: June 22, 2009