Following the passage of California’s AB 2398 (Carpet Stewardship legislation) and the bill’s recent signing into law by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the future of carpet after use is now determined.

The legislation is designed to create incentives for the diversion and recycling of post-consumer carpet. The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is the third-party industry-led and funded carpet reclamation organization responsible for developing the infrastructure for collecting used carpet and identifying roles for industry and state and local governments.

From July 1, 2011 to Jan. 1, 2013, manufacturers will be assessed $0.05/square yard on all carpet sold and shipped to California. The assessment will be remitted on a quarterly basis to Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) or would allow the manufacturer to retain that assessment for distribution according to an approved stewardship plan.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, “the bill would require the funding mechanism to establish and provide for, on and after January 1, 2013, a carpet stewardship assessment to be added to the purchase price of carpet sold in the state by a manufacturer to a California retailer or wholesaler or otherwise sold for use in the state, and would require each retailer and wholesaler to add the assessment to the purchase price of all carpet sold in the state.”

Under the bill, these revenues are to be spent by CARE or by an individual manufacturer, with prior approval of its carpet stewardship plan, in order to implement early action measures that are consistent to achieve measurable improvements in the landfill diversion and recycling of postconsumer carpet.

The bill also states that a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer that offers carpet for sale or promotional purposes without an approved plan for that carpet, on and after April 1, 2012, is not in compliance with the act’s requirements. The bill would require the department, by July 1, 2012, and not later than Jan. 1 and July 1 annually thereafter, to post a notice on its website listing manufacturers that are in compliance with the bill’s requirements. Companies not in compliance will be subject to civil penalties.

“CARE will be working closely with all stakeholders, including CalRecycle, to develop the plan to manage and administer the program,” said Georgina Sikorski, CARE executive director.

The recycling efforts started in January 2002 under the Memorandum for Understanding for Carpet Stewardship (MOU). Twenty-two states signed the initial agreement along with members of the carpet industry, representatives of government agencies at the federal, state and local levels, and non-governmental organizations. The agreement established a 10-year schedule to increase the amount of recycling and reuse of post-consumer carpet and reduce the amount of waste carpet going to landfills. MOU 2012 is currently under discussion.

If you have questions about AB2398, contact Jeremy Stroop, Carpet America Recovery Effort, (706) 428-2127, or visit  www.carpetrecovery.org

NFT Online Directories: Your Source of Information
No doubt about it – theNational Floor Trends’Annual 2010 Trade Directory and Buying Guide and the Wood Floor & Product Resource Guide are two great information sources available to you online through our website (www.ntlfloortrends.com).

The online edition has the most complete information as it is updated throughout the year, 24/7 – and includes manufacturer, distributor, sales agent, product, buying group, association/market, and cross-referenced technical training school listings. All the online section listings include more robust data (for example, the addition of branch offices and representatives in the manufacturer section) and additional listing enhancements like keyword search options, premium ranking and designation online, spec sheets, marketing messages, product photos, videos, and a request for proposal program.

All listings can also be updated through our password-protected system.