Carpet disposal — how to get rid of old carpet
Old carpet is bulky, heavy when it's rolled, and treated as remodeling or construction debris by a lot of drop-offs. Cut it into manageable pieces, keep it dry, and check whether your local site takes it before you load the truck.
Short answer
- Cut it into strips or squares — some sites require it.
- Many drop-offs class it as construction debris, with its own fee or its own site.
- Some convenience centers refuse it.
- In California, a state carpet program handles recycling.
How sites handle carpet
- Biddeford, Maine: carpet must be cut into 2-foot squares or strips.
- Statesville, North Carolina's convenience sites take carpet with other remodeling waste: $8 a half pickup load, $16 a full one.
- Toledo, Bismarck, North Dakota and Olmsted County, Minnesota accept it.
- Wethersfield, Connecticut charges for carpet with building materials by the half cubic yard.
- Refused: Albuquerque's convenience centers don't take construction debris, drywall and carpet included.
Carpet recycling in California
California runs a Carpet Stewardship Program, overseen by CalRecycle and run by Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the nonprofit created by carpet manufacturers, to see that used carpet is reused, recycled or properly disposed of.
Our guide to construction debris covers flooring, drywall and other remodeling waste.
Find a drop-off near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest sites, then check each site's page for carpet.
Common questions
How do you dispose of old carpet?
Cut it into strips or squares, then take it to a drop-off or landfill that accepts carpet, often as remodeling or construction debris. Some convenience centers refuse it, so check first.
Can carpet go in the trash?
Small pieces sometimes can, but a room's worth usually goes to a drop-off or landfill. Check your city's page.
Do I have to cut up carpet?
Often. Biddeford, Maine, for example, requires carpet cut into 2-foot squares or strips.
Can carpet be recycled?
In some places. California runs a carpet stewardship program through CARE; elsewhere, ask your local drop-off.