SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's recycling department, CalRecycle, is pitching a new $330 million proposal to the California State Legislature, with $100 million of the proposed funds earmarked specifically for consumers.
In a press release Friday, CalRecycle director Rachel Machi Wagoner said they want to provide more ways for consumers to redeem their bottles and cans. One way they hope to achieve this is by issuing bonus recycling credits.
CalRecycle's $330 million plan
If passed, the multi-million dollar proposal would be funded by the $330 million surplus of unredeemed container deposits that grew during the pandemic. With the funding, CalRecycle would reach out to underserved areas with recycling incentives.
But before the bonus recycling credits roll out for people redeeming bottles or cans, CalRecycle wants to use $100 million to add about 2,000 redeeming vending machines statewide.
“Californians want to recycle and they’re doing their part with the return of 18.5 billion bottles and cans last (fiscal) year. That’s a nearly 70 percent recycling rate,” Wagoner said. “We can get closer to 100 percent recycling by giving Californians more redemption options and new opportunities to succeed.”
Redeeming vending machines would be placed through grants at high schools, colleges and stores.
The entire plan as outlined by CalRecycle includes:
- $100 million to add about 2,000 reverse vending machines through grants to high schools, colleges and retailers that are obligated to redeem containers in-store.
- $100 million to double consumer refunds with bonus recycling credits once new mobile recycling and reverse vending machine programs are in place.
- $55 million to boost returns in rural and underserved communities with state-funded mobile recycling programs.
- $50 million to maximize the quality of recycled beverage containers to help more get recycled into new beverage containers, required by AB 793
- $25 million for new infrastructure and technology to support redemptions and administration costs.
