Photo above: There are over 180 public drop-off sites for carpet recycling in California.
Time to change flooring in your home? Carpet has a good long life, especially if it's well maintained, but when the time comes for new carpet … what happens to the old stuff?
Whether you are tearing it out yourself or hiring a professional, old wall-to-wall carpet can be recycled. By recycling, you're keeping valuable material out of landfills and giving it a second life.
California Is Winning
Thanks to the carpet recycling laws and an active network of recyclers, California has the highest carpet recycling rate of anywhere in the world!
Carpet America Recovery Effort is a nonprofit working to increase the reuse and recycling of used carpet in California. To date, over 1.4 billion pounds of carpet has been collected in California and sent for reuse or recycling — that's the weight of over 500 giant sequoia trees! But there's more to be done!
Ask Your Retailer
Before you buy new carpet, ask:
- Does the new carpet contain recycled material? Using recycled material reduces waste and saves natural resources.
- Can you help me recycle my old carpet? Many retailers will help get your carpet recycled by sending it back to the manufacturer or taking it to the right facility.
- Do you know where to take carpet for recycling? There are over 180 facilities in California that accept old carpet from the public for recycling, many with discounted rates or no charge. See the map at CarpetRecovery.org/CA.
What Products Contain Recycled Carpet?
There are more than 132 products that contain post-consumer carpet material. Old carpet gets made into useful new products, like siding, auto parts and … new carpet!
Why Recycle?
Recycling carpet makes good sense. When you recycle your old carpet, you are reducing waste and saving space in the landfill.
Learn More
Thank you for recycling your old carpet. It feels good to do the right thing!
To learn more about caring for and recycling your carpet, visit RecycleMyCarpet.com.
To learn more about Carpet America Recovery Effort, visit CarpetRecovery.org.
