Image courtesy of CARE
Did you know that in California, we have carpet recycling laws that give the state the highest carpet recycling rate in the country? It’s all made possible by regulations such as AB2398 and AB1158 which require that manufacturers excise a $.05/yd fee on new carpet sales to offset end-of-life solutions programs. These regulations have helped California support over 150 public carpet drop-off sites and remain atop national carpet rankings; in 2023, California exceeded a carpet recovery rate of 31%, whereas other states average around 4%.
There are three primary ways carpet can be diverted:
Reuse: This is the preferred end-of-life solution. Companies like ANEW and Repurpose.Earth look to rehome the recovered carpet tile onto new projects. Demolition partners should reach out to these companies or CARE to identify best reuse opportunities.
Recycling: CARE offers a map of different drop-off sites around the state; many of which are located at common commercial transfer stations. Once picked up, the carpet is then sorted by fiber and backing type then graded for recycling to return into new products like automotive parts, insulation, flooring underlayment, siding products, or even new carpet tile.
Disposal/ADC: This is the worst end-of-life solution for carpet. When carpet is dumped in a comingled dumpster, it is either disposed into landfill or shredded into Alternative Daily Cover, which is simply a topping layer at municipal solid waste landfills.
As a bonus, if you can send off at least 5,000 square feet of carpet, contractors can be eligible for free- or low-cost pickup programs by reaching out to CARE directly via a form on their website.
What should commercial contractors do?
Include additional handling costs associated with demolition in initial estimates. Because there is some additional handling associated with palletizing and protecting carpet for diversion, and carpet delivery to CARE drop-off sties, add some additional costs to your estimates, approximately $0.52 per sf for same level buildings; $0.62 per sf for buildings with multiple floors. Plus the additional cost of purchasing a pallet if applicable (~$8).
Include the following language in your flooring demolition contractor’s scope of work:
“All demolished carpet to be either rolled or stacked, palletized, and wrapped per CARE guidelines. For example, broadloom to be cut into 3-5’ runners, rolled separately from the padding, and wrapped/bundled with tape or string. Carpet Tile to have all tact tiles removed and sorted by backing type, stacked face-to-face neatly on full-sized pallets no greater than 4’ high, wrapped in plastic film and strapped to pallets. Labor, material, and transportation costs to be included in subcontractor’s costs.”
Ensure hand-off between trade partner estimators and project management. Oftentimes, the person bidding the work will not be the person managing the scope in the field. Make sure that these handling practices are discussed in the subcontract closedown meetings and pre-mobilization kickoff calls.
Follow-up in the field. Make sure your superintendent has read the waste management plan and is aware of the requirement to divert carpet. They should have a plan for site storage (if required) and loading dock logistics. A field walk with the field superintendent and the trade partner PM will help make sure expectations are clear.
Ask for tickets. Make sure you claim credit for diversion by requesting the backup documentation with proof of diversion be provided by your demolition partner or hauling partner.
If you are an owner or architect, it’s important to recognize that these additional activities may come at an additional cost. When put in a competitive bid situation, capturing additional costs for diverting carpet may put that contractor at a slight disadvantage. You can level the playing field for your contractors by requiring carpet recovery scope language in your specifications or Basis of Design documents.
Want to learn more? Visit the Carpet America Recovery Effort website or email Lisa Mekis at lmekis@carpetrecovery.org.
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