The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) reports that differential assessments currently charged on all carpet sold in California are expected to increase on January 1, 2023. The assessment increase has to be approved by CalRecycle in a process that will take some weeks, however carpet retailers in California should prepare now for the increase that will go into effect on January 1, 2023. 

The new assessment amounts are:

The rates replace the current amounts that went into effect on April 1, 2022. 

“This assessment increase undoubtedly is a serious burden for the approximately 2,000 California carpet retailers and the 79 carpet mills with operations in the state,” noted CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples. “The increase is necessitated by rising costs – as experienced in multiple industries today – exacerbated by declining carpet sales, the assessment funds from which support carpet recycling operations in the state. This comes at a time when the California Program has achieved remarkable results in terms of carpet collection and recycling; the assessment increase is necessary to continue the progress and to meet the challenging goals for the Program that have been set by CalRecycle.” 

CARE has begun an extensive plan to communicate the change to retailers and mills. Retailers are encouraged to visit the CARE website for the latest developments.

In other news from CARE, CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner has signed the staff recommendation that the CARE 2021 Annual Report did not meet all the requirements in statute, regulations, and its 2018 to 2022 Plan. The director referred CARE to the Waste, Permitting, Compliance, and Mitigation Division for potential enforcement.

“We were quite dismayed by this decision,” said Peoples said. "CalRecycle confirmed that CARE had met goals for carpet recycling rate, number of collection sites, recyclability, reduction in disposal and number of post-consumer carpet products in the marketplace. In July, the California Carpet Stewardship Advisory Committee also commended CARE for exceeding or mostly meeting 8 of the 10 performance goals. Peoples continued, “We believe the Program has made outstanding progress and are disappointed that CalRecycle took this stance.”