Beverage Container Recycling Grants
The Beverage Container Recycling Grant (BCRG) Program aims to reach and maintain an 80% recycling rate for all California Refund Value (CRV) beverage containers – aluminum, glass, plastic, and bi-metal.
Eligibility
This grant program encourages market development and expansion activities for beverage container materials by helping organizations establish convenient recycling and litter abatement projects.
Funding
- $1.5 million is available for each grant cycle.
- $75,000 is the minimum available for individual grant awards.
- $275,000 is the maximum available for individual grant awards.
- For Regional/Cooperative applications: $275,000 is the maximum available for the joint grant award, subject to funding availability.
Eligible applicants include:
- California cities, counties, state agencies, and other local government entities
- Special districts (e.g., recreational park districts)
- Public colleges and universities and public K-12 school districts
- Non-profit organizations (except private K-12 schools) registered with the federal government under 501(c)3, (c)6, or (c)10 of the Internal Revenue Code
- Qualifying Tribal Entities
- Joint Powers Authorities
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs are limited to the following:
- Personnel costs directly related to the start-up/implementation of the project are capped at 25% of the total grant award, such as:
- Recycling coordinator salaries or wages for those directly involved, students, consultants
- Purchase of equipment or materials related to infrastructure such as:
- Beverage container recycling bins/receptacles
- Cluster bins
- Lids
- Receptacle liner
- In-unit totes (multi-family residential dwellings)
- Pads/enclosures to accommodate centralized roll-off, balers, scales, optical sorters (for municipality operating its own Material Recovery Facility)
- Equipment modifications
- Signage
- Brochures
- Installation costs for equipment
- Service cart for use in collection of materials
- Laptops, computers, etc.
- Purchase of water refill stations, including the installation, replacement of current infrastructure, plumbing, maintenance, additional attachments or modifications, or related educational and outreach activities/materials promoting water refill stations.
- Direct operating expenses associated with project activities.
- Expenses for an ongoing collection program (excluding single stream).
- Education activities and/or materials promoting beverage container recycling (not to exceed a maximum cap of 25% of the total grant award). May be included as part of the Mandatory Commercial Recycling Plan for local jurisdiction applicants.
- Funding must have a direct connection to the CRV of beverage containers and the overall program.
- If non-CRV items are included in the grant, they are subject to proportional cost.
- Dual bin collection systems permanently attached together to include landfill and CRV beverage containers are 100% eligible.
- Litter reduction and cleanup along the United States-Mexico border where the waste stream includes beverage containers that will be recycled.
For more information, contact bevcontainergrants@calrecycle.ca.gov.
Current Grant Cycle
Application materials for Fiscal Years (FY) 2024–25 and 2025–26 were due September 24, 2024. The application period is now closed.
Upcoming Grant Cycles
No upcoming grant cycles at this time.
How to Apply
Watch for the Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) on either of these two web pages:
Online Applications
CalRecycle grant applications are submitted online through the CalRecycle Grants Management System (GMS).
For more information, contact bevcontainergrants@calrecycle.ca.gov.