Recycling reforms help Californians do more to fight climate and trash pollution
Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: December 26, 2023
News Release # #2023-11
Media Contact: Jessica Pureco-Garcia
916-323-0835 | jessica.pureco-garcia@calrecycle.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO – Californians can ring in 2024 by redeeming their empty wine and liquor containers for cash. Starting January 1, California adds wine and liquor sold in bottles, cans, boxes, and pouches to the state’s Beverage Container Recycling Program to cut waste and pollution by turning more recycled materials into new products.
What’s new for consumers?
Californians pay a 5, 10, or 25 cent California Redemption Value (CRV) deposit on newly added wine and liquor containers and redeem deposits at recyclers or obligated retailers.
- Newly added containers are not required to have CRV labeling until Jul 1, 2025.
- Bag-in-box containers must be intact to be eligible for redemption.
What’s new for businesses?
- Stores update shelf labels and systems to reflect new CRV container additions.
- Recycling centers and obligated retailers redeem newly added beverages and container types (with or without a CRV label).
- Beverage manufacturers and distributors register and submit CRV payments.
California is implementing several historic Bottle Bill reforms to recycle more beverage containers and make redemption easier for consumers.
- In addition to wine and liquor, large juice containers are redeemable starting Jan. 1.
- Retailers in areas without recycling centers must redeem in-store or join new dealer cooperative systems starting Jan 1, 2025.
- Over $285 million to increase material reuse and recycling sites with funding for:
- Hassle-free redemption options like reverse vending machines, mobile recycling, and bag-drop recycling.
- Beverage container recycling business start-up costs.
- Reuse/refill system innovations for beverage containers.
- Collection, transportation, and remanufacturing of materials.
Visit RecycleCRV.com | Get instant updates on the Beverage Container Recycling Program
BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING PROGRAM FAST FACTS
- California passed its Bottle Bill in 1986 to reduce litter and increase recycling.
- California collected 491 billion beverage containers for recycling since 1988, including a record 19.5 billion beverage containers in 2022.
- California’s current beverage container recycling rate is 70%.
- With the addition of wine and spirits, CalRecycle estimates about 1.1 billion additional wine and spirits containers could enter the program each year.
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CalRecycle provides oversight of California solid waste handling and recycling programs to protect human health, develop sustainable solutions that conserve resources, and reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.