California's AB 904 Rewrites Carpet Recycling Rules

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 904 into law on September 27, 2026, reshaping the state's carpet stewardship program for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and consumers.

The law's most concrete obligation is a disposal mandate. No later than January 1, 2029, all carpet removed from a residence or business must be transported to a collection site. Covered material collected at those sites must then go to a recycling facility designated by the producer responsibility organization.

Free drop-off will be required. The Producer Responsibility Organization must let people drop off post-consumer carpet at no charge at authorized collection sites operating on a prescribed schedule.

Disclosure changes

AB 904 replaces the environmental product declaration requirement with online disclosure of any components constituting more than 1% of product weight, plus intentionally added DTSC Candidate Chemicals. Trade-secret protection applies.

Content and reuse targets

The law codifies targets already familiar to the industry. Carpet must contain 5% post-consumer recycled carpet content by 2028. CalRecycle may set the required rate for 2029 and any year thereafter.

Convention carpet, already covered under existing law, faces a new threshold: no less than 20% must be reused by 2028.

Backstamping delayed

The deadline for carpet backstamping on all carpet sold in California slips to six months after new regulations are issued—currently estimated at July 2028.

Other provisions

• Union grants: The union apprentice programs receive $2 million per year in funding.
• Rugs excluded: Rugs now fall outside the carpet law. Manufacturers should monitor the separate textiles bill AB 707, which will cover rugs, for timing requirements.
• Governing board: The law establishes a 14-member voting board.

The provisions above are not a complete summary, and interested parties are advised to familiarize themselves with the bill's full contents.

With the January 1, 2029 disposal deadline now set, flooring industry participants in California have roughly two years to build out collection logistics and adjust product disclosure practices before enforcement begins.