SB3546 - Carpet Stewardship Act

• Establishes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program requiring carpet producers to implement and finance statewide stewardship programs managing end-of-life carpet collection, reuse, and recycling, with the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) as sole stewardship group through January 1, 2020.

• Imposes 15 cents per square yard stewardship assessment on PET, PTT, and blended carpet sold in Illinois starting October 1, 2015, collected quarterly and remitted to stewardship group to fund program operations.

• Requires producers to submit detailed stewardship plans by January 1, 2016 for approval by Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, including collection infrastructure goals (50% of counties by July 1, 2017 and 90% by July 1, 2018), performance targets, and end-of-life management strategies.

• Prohibits sale of carpet in Illinois from non-participating producers on and after July 1, 2016, with civil penalties of $500 per day for violations; retailers and distributors protected if producer listed as compliant on Agency website when carpet was ordered.

• Requires state agencies to purchase at least 35% carpet with post-consumer recycled content starting January 1, 2017, increasing 10% annually until reaching 75%; directs Agency to report to General Assembly by January 1, 2022 on program results and recommendations.