Consumer Watchdog is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to overhaul operations at CalRecycle, the state department that oversees California’s recycling programs. The organization said the recycling programs are falling apart, citing the recent collapse of rePlanet, which closed its remaining 284 redemption centers, including those here in the Morongo Basin Aug. 5, and shrinking options to retrieve bottle and can deposits. They say consumers are only getting back about half of the $1.5 billion in bottle and can deposits they make because centers have become few and far between and lines at existing locations are long.
Grocery and retail chains obligated to redeem bottles and cans in areas without redemption centers are failing to do so. California consumers receive 5 cents for most glass bottles, plastic bottles or aluminum cans that hold less than 24 ounces and 10 cents for containers of 24 ounces or more. State records show rePlanet received state payments of nearly $25 million last year. Californians Against Waste said the payments weren’t enough to match the company’s operating costs.
“CalRecycle can’t do anything about it because the payments are tied to an outdated 1986 formula; under that formula, recycling centers are paid the same amount, whether they handle 40 million containers a month or 40,000.” They say the state is sitting on $340 million in surplus recycling funds that could be used to help redemption centers remain in operation. They say California needs to streamline the certification process and provide financial incentives for entrepreneurs who want to establish recycling centers.
