Beverage Container Recycling

CalRecycle manages the California Beverage Container Recycling Program (BCRP), which includes a redeemable fee for certain containers.

 

 

 

What is California Redemption Value (CRV)?

Consumers pay a California Redemption Value (CRV) fee when they purchase beverages and receive CRV refunds when they redeem containers at a recycling center or retailer (called a dealer in the program).

CRV eligible beverages are packaged in:

  • Aluminum
  • Glass
  • Plastic
  • Bi-metal

*Effective January 1, 2024, this includes beverage containers that are boxes, bladders or pouches containing wine, distilled spirits, wine coolers, or distilled spirit coolers.

The CRV refunds are:

  • 5 cents for containers less than 24 ounces
  • 10 cents for containers 24 ounces or larger

*Effective January 1, 2024, 25 cents for boxes, bladders or pouches containing wine, distilled spirits, wine coolers, or distilled spirit coolers. 

Program News

  • SB 353 (Dodd, Chapter 868, Statutes of 2023) Adds fruit juice containers of 46 ounces or more and vegetable juice containers over 16 ounces to the program beginning January 1, 2024. Increases processing payments by changing the method for determining scrap value and provides an additional payment to rural recycling centers for handling glass containers.
  • SB 1013 (Atkins, Chapter 610, Statutes of 2022) was approved by Governor Newsom on September 27, 2022, and became effective on January 1, 2023. This legislative bill brings wine and distilled spirits into the California Beverage Container Recycling Program, introduces new grant programs, expands the convenience zones, and significantly modifies the role of dealers in the BCRP.
  • AB 793: Beverage Container Postconsumer Plastic Minimum Content Standard. Assembly Bill 793 (Ting and Irwin, Chapter 115, Statutes of 2020) requires beverages sold by a beverage manufacturer to have a postconsumer plastic recycled content standard of 15 percent beginning January 1, 2022, increasing to 25 percent in 2025 and 50 percent in 2030. For more information, follow this link to our Plastic Minimum Content Standards web page.

Californians have recycled more than

billion bottles and cans since 1988

Californians have recycled

billion containers just in 2022

More than 400 containers a person.

Over

%

of the beverages sold in California are in this program

Water, Soda, Fruit and Vegetable Juice, and Beer.

Find A Nearby Recycling Center

Just enter your ZIP code to find a bottle & can redemption center near you.

Beverage Container Recycling Facts

Download the Beverage Container Recycling Fact Sheet for facts related to calendar year 2022.

Eligible for CRV

  • Beer and Malt Beverages
  • Wine Coolers
  • Carbonated Fruit Drinks,
    Water or Soft Drinks
  • Noncarbonated Fruit
    Drinks, Water, or Soft
    Drinks
  • Coffee and Tea Beverages
  • 100% Fruit Juice less than 46 oz.
  • Vegetable Juice 16 oz. or less

Effective January 1, 2024

  • Wine or distilled spirits (liquor) in almost any container, including:
      • Boxes
      • Bladders
      • Pouches

Not Eligible for CRV

  • Milk
  • Medical Food
  • Infant Formula
  • 100% Fruit Juice 46 oz. or
    more
  • 100% Vegetable Juice
    more than 16 oz.
  • Food and Non-Beverage
    Containers

When in Doubt

Check the label on the container!

  • “California Redemption Value”
  • “CA Redemption Value”
  • “California Cash Refund”
  • “CA CRV”
  • “CA Cash Refund”

Per-Container Redemption vs. By Weight

Customers can ask to be paid by count for up to 50 CRV beverage containers of each material type per transaction:

  • 50 glass
  • 50 aluminum
  • 50 plastic
  • 50 bimetal

Customers can ask to be paid by count for up to 25 CRV beverage containers of each material type per transaction:

  • 25 wine and distilled spirit bag-in-box
  • 25 wine and distilled spirit multilayer pouch
  • 25 wine and distilled spirit paperboard carton

Daily load limits of empty CRV beverage containers are:

  • 100 pounds each for aluminum and plastic
  • 1,000 pounds for glass
  • 50 pounds for bag-in-box
  • 25 pounds each for multilayer pouches and paperboard cartons

Complaints

Grants

Questions

Toll-Free: 1-800-RECYCLE
(916) 323-3836
Fax: (916) 327-2144