Applications open for $131 million to bring cash-back sites to more places
Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: August 7, 2025
Media Contact: Lance Klug | OPA@calrecycle.ca.gov
California’s recycling department announced $131 million in new funding to expand hassle-free beverage container redemption options in communities that need them most. The Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program supports projects that make it faster and easier for residents to redeem their California Redemption Value (CRV) deposits.
“California is bringing redemption to more communities and innovating new, hassle-free methods to get CRV deposits back to Californians,” CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller said. “These reforms are designed to make redeeming your CRV deposits just as easy as paying them to reuse more materials.”
Adding to last year’s grants that will bring nearly 200 new sites for Californians to cash in their drink containers, the additional funding is now available for a wide range of projects to serve Californians across the state, including:
- $55 million for recycling centers to build or expand redemption options to include reverse vending machines, bag-drop or mobile recycling programs.
- $40 million for dealer cooperative nonprofits to redeem on behalf of beverage retailers using reverse vending machines, bag drop or mobile redemption options.
- $21 million for beverage retailers (dealers) to add reverse vending machine redemption at their stores.
- $15 million for qualifying tribes to build or expand redemption options to include reverse vending machines, bag-drop or mobile recycling programs.
Application deadlines vary by grant cycle and are posted on CalRecycle’s Redemption Innovation Grant webpage.
Progress Report – Previous Redemption Innovation Grant Funding
The first round of redemption innovation grant projects, awarded in fall 2024, are projected to add about 200 new recycling sites across 27 California counties. Grant agreements for all 24 projects are now in place. Operational timelines vary by project.
Beverage Container Recycling Program Reforms
New retailer takeback rules started January 1, 2025, for larger beverage retailers in areas not served by a recycling center to either:
- Set up a system to redeem beverage container deposits in-store or
- Create or join a nonprofit cooperative on their own, or with other retailers, to give customers ways to redeem. Each dealer cooperative will benefit from:
- State funding support for each container recycled and
- Flexibility to offer reverse vending machines, mobile recycling or bag-drop recycling to customers.
Californians can find their nearest redemption option on BottlesandCans.com, which also includes a full list of eligible CRV beverage containers and answers to the most common CRV redemption questions.
California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) brings together the state’s recycling and waste management programs to move the state towards a circular economy that reduces waste and reuses all materials. Through landmark initiatives like the Integrated Waste Management Act and Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act, California works toward a society that uses less, recycles more, and takes resource conservation to higher and higher levels.
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CalRecycle's mission is to protect California's environment and climate for the health and prosperity of future generations through the reduction, reuse and recycling of California resources, environmental education, disaster recovery, and the transition from a disposable to a fully circular economy.