Carpets are bulky, heavy, difficult to handle, and mostly made from non-renewable resources. Although carpets are recyclable, Americans trash around two million tons of carpet each year, taking up valuable landfill space and wasting resources. In landfills, carpets can release hazardous materials into the environment, including flame retardants and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). EPR serves as a mechanism to ensure proper end-of-life management of carpets, supporting the recycling of these products and incentivizing the design of more sustainable products. In 2010, California passed its first-in-the-nation carpet EPR program.
Programs
California Carpet Stewardship Program
California passed their carpet stewardship program in 2010, ensuring postconsumer carpet is reused, recycled, or properly disposed. The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the nonprofit stewardship organization created by carpet manufacturers, runs the program in California, while the program is overseen by CalRecycle.
Resources
About NWPSC
The Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC) is a coalition of government organizations in Washington and Oregon that work together to develop and improve Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies and programs