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Carpet

An estimated 37,000 tons of waste carpet generated each year in Seattle and King County is disposed in landfills.¹ Though the amount of carpet recycled in the central Puget Sound area is unknown and believed to be minimal, it is on the increase.

The U.S. is currently seeing growth in the carpet recycling industry, as national negotiations are beginning to stimulate more business interest in processing and end-market demand. Existing end-markets for carpet-derived materials include carpet fiber, auto parts, and wood-plastic composites. For more information on the current state of the carpet recycling industry in the U.S., visit the Carpet America Recovery Act (CARE) website (external).

Local Marketplace

The growth of the national carpet recycling industry has taken hold in the Pacific Northwest. There is a growing network of businesses in this region that are collecting, sorting and processing used carpet for recycling.

For more information on where in the Pacific Northwest to recycle old carpet see the CARE Carpet Reclamation Partners (external) website or King County’s What Do I Do With…? website.

Carpet Strategy Project

In 2009 and early 2010, LinkUp collaborated with Seattle Public Utilities and others to develop a strategy establishing regional recycling infrastructure and end-markets for carpet waste generated in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the Carpet Strategy Project.

Check back regularly for updated resources and news on what’s happening with carpet recycling.