Notice of Funds Available: Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program (FY 2022-23)

The application period for fiscal year (FY) 2022-23 is now closed.

Criteria | Eligibility | Funding | Timeline and Cycle Details | Grant Administration Documents

The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) administers a program to provide opportunities to support start-up costs for recycling programs, which shall be limited to recycling centers, satellite mobile recycling, reverse vending machines, or bag drop programs.  These funds are also available to existing recycling centers for the purposes of establishing satellite mobile recycling to expand outreach.  The flexibility in the program will encourage the recycling centers to be innovative and increase California Refund Value (CRV) redemption opportunities. (Revised)

Criteria

Approval of Criteria, January 23, 2024  February 28, 2024 (Revised)

Eligibility

Applicants

• Dealers – All Dealers must submit an affidavit to CalRecycle choosing to redeem in-store prior to the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) email.
• Existing Certified Recycling
• New Recycling Center Businesses – Must be certified prior to the NTP email.
• Community Service Program (SP)

Organizational types within the four eligible applicants identified above include:

• Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit organizations (except private K–12 schools) registered with the federal government under 501(c)3, (c)6, (c)10 of the Internal Revenue Code. 
• Local Governments. California cities, counties, and other local government entities.
• Private entities and for-profit businesses.
• Public colleges and universities.
• Qualifying Tribal Entities.

Projects

• Mobile Recycling. Defined as a recycling center that redeems empty beverage containers at more than one location and reports under a single certification ID.
  • The expanded recycling services must not be within a served zone unless either of the following exceptions apply:
    • the applicant is the recycling center currently serving the zone;
    • and they are the sole recycling center within the zone.
• Reverse Vending Machines (RVM). Defined as machines that pay customers for beverage containers placed in the machine.
• Bag Drop Programs. Defined as a method of redemption offered by recyclers where consumers redeem empty beverage containers by delivering the containers to stationary locations in a sealed bag, box, or other receptacle for the recycler to inspect and weigh at a time or location other than where the containers are redeemed. 

Funding

• $40,000,000 available, including $2,500,000 allocated for Community Service Programs (SP) and $1,000,000 allocated for small reverse vending machine (RVM) projects, for fiscal year (FY) 2022-23.
• $500,000 is the minimum and $3,000,000 is the maximum per grant award for Dealers, Existing and New Certified Recycling Centers. $30,000 is the minimum and $100,000 is the maximum per grant award for small reverse vending machine (RVM) projects for Dealers, Existing, and New Certified Recycling Centers.
• $30,000 is the minimum and $300,000 is the maximum per grant award for Community Service Programs (SP).
• A single entity may submit multiple applications, but the entity may only receive up to $9,000,000 in awarded funds. (Revised)

Timeline and Cycle Details

Grant Administration Documents

Terms and Conditions 

Notice: Submission of an application constitutes an acknowledgment that you have read these Terms and Conditions and understood and agreed that they will be part of the Grant Agreement upon an award of any grant funds.

The text of these Terms and Conditions may not be altered, changed or revised in any way, except in writing by mutual agreement of the parties pursuant to the Amendment provision herein.  In the event of any dispute regarding the content of these Terms and Conditions, the original document contained in the grant cycle file located at the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 will control.  These Terms and Conditions are applicable only to the specified cycle and/or Fiscal Year of the particular grant program specified.

If you require assistance in obtaining access to this document, please use the contact information at the bottom of this page.

Procedures and Requirements

Notice: These Procedures and Requirements are in draft form.  Upon issuance of Grant Agreement, these Procedures and Requirements shall become final.

The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery reserves the right to make any necessary changes to the Procedures and Requirements prior to issuance of the Grant Agreement.  Any such changes will be non-negotiable.  In the event that any changes are made to the Procedures and Requirements, all Grantees will be notified as to what specific changes have been made.

Once the Grant Agreement has been issued and the Procedures and Requirements have become final, the text of the incorporated Procedures and Requirements may not be altered, changed or revised in any way, except in writing by mutual agreement of the parties pursuant to the Amendment provision contained in the Terms and Conditions.  In the event of any dispute regarding the content of the incorporated Procedures and Requirements, the original document contained in the grant cycle file located at the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 will control.  These Procedures and Requirements are applicable only to the specific cycle and/or Fiscal Year of the particular grant program specified.

If you require assistance in obtaining access to this document, please use the contact information at the bottom of this page.

Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Homepage

For more information, visit Beverage Container Recycling Home