Questions about the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program grant application are accepted in writing only, no later than May 27, 2026. Similar or related questions may be grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question. In order to receive a response, a question must pertain to clarification of the application and the requirements in the application process. Any questions submitted pertaining to other elements of the grant will not be posted on the official Question and Answer web page. Questions regarding bag-drop operation requirements and certifications should be directed to the Division of Recycling at (916) 324-8598.
All questions and answers will be posted during the application period and are subject to updates. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check this website for the latest information regarding this grant cycle.
Please refer to the AB1311 Bag Drop and Mobile Virtual Information Session for additional operational requirement information.
The question-and-answer period is now closed for this grant cycle. All questions and answers are posted on this site.
General | Eligibility | Certification | Eligible Projects | Funding | Application
General
- What does NTP mean in the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program, Cycle 6 (RIG6) Program?
NTP stands for Notice to Proceed. This terminology is specific to the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program and is separate from the certification process/approval from the Division of Recycling. The grant term begins on the date of the NTP email. This email is the formal notification from CalRecycle authorizing the grantee to begin the grant project and incur costs for the RIG project. Expenditures made or costs incurred prior to the NTP date are not eligible for reimbursement.
- Under the grant award conditions, the grantee must pay all outstanding debts due to CalRecycle. Please provide examples of debts due to CalRecycle from certified recycling centers? What other debts are typically due from recycling centers in the current program?
An outstanding debt includes any payment(s) owed to CalRecycle. This may include, but is not limited to, fines, violations, etc. If an entity has received an invoice from CalRecycle for funds they owe to CalRecycle, and payment has not been received, that entity must remit payment to CalRecycle within 60 days of an award email, or the award will void.
- The grant period is through April 1, 2028. Does this mean that all grant funds need to be used/invoiced by that date?
Yes, all costs must be incurred and equipment delivered prior to April 1, 2028. The Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program is a reimbursement program. A grantee will only be able to be reimbursed for authorized expenses made during the grant term. Equipment must be purchased and delivered, and installed, if applicable, prior to the grant term end date.
- If my organization received a previous RIG award, can we apply for RIG6?
Yes, if you are a current recycling center who has previously received grant funding from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund, you may apply but priority will be given to applicants not previously awarded in past RIG cycles. Additionally, applicants with an open RIG grant may require additional review to ensure the open project is progressing in a manner satisfactory to CalRecycle before awarding another RIG grant.
- Do I need to hire a grant writer to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program?
No, it is not a requirement that you hire a grant writer to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program. If you choose to hire a consultant, understand what is being submitted on your behalf. Before you sign and submit the application documents, make sure that you read all the documents and confirm that the information provided represents your project completely. Also, consultant fees are not reimbursable with grant funding.
- Does CalRecycle have a preferred equipment list?
CalRecycle does not have, nor will CalRecycle provide, a preferred equipment list.
- If a Qualifying Tribal Entity is already an existing Grantee under a different RIG cycle, can they also apply for this RIG6 grant?
Yes, applicants who previously received grant funding from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund may apply. However, priority will be given to applicants not previously awarded in past RIG cycles. Additionally, applicants with an open RIG grant may require additional review to ensure the open project is progressing in a manner satisfactory to CalRecycle before another RIG grant may be awarded. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions for additional information.
- Can a recycling center use both traditional staffed recycling and include Bag Drop services from RIG6 under the same certification?
Yes. A certified weigh and pay recycling center may also utilize bag drop as part of their RIG6 project at the existing recycling center site. However, priority will be given to applicants that include sites within unserved convenience zones. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions for additional information.
Eligibility
- Can a Recycling Center apply for RIG and use the equipment as a Redemption Contractor for a Dealer Cooperative?
No, equipment funded by RIG6 would not be eligible to be used for Dealer Cooperative related activities. Certified Recycling Centers are not able to operate in an unserved convenience zone where a Dealer Cooperative is present.
- Can a legal entity which holds two Recycling Center Certifications submit two separate applications for each Recycling Center?
No, any and all subsidiaries, divisions or affiliated businesses are considered part of the primary business entity for the purpose of applying for and receiving a grant award under the program. A business is considered an “affiliated business” if it has at least one owner with a forty (40) percent or greater interest in another applicant’s business. Only one application per business entity will be considered. If an applicant submits more than one application, it will be the applicant’s responsibility to decide which application should go forward. If the additional application(s) are not withdrawn, all applications from that applicant will be disqualified.
- Can pilot program redemption centers apply for RIG6?
No, Pilot Project Recyclers are not eligible for RIG6. If a Pilot Project Recycler also operates a separate Certified Recycling Center, the Certified Recycling Center would be eligible to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 6 (RIG6). For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants and Eligible Projects sections within the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
- Do Recycling Centers in No Zones qualify for RVM project scopes under RIG?
Yes, RVM projects must be located within an unserved convenience zone or within the served convenience zone that the applicant’s Recycling Center is currently serving.
- Are public agencies, such as local governments and counties, eligible to apply?
The eligible applicants for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 6 (RIG6) are existing or new certified Recycling Centers. The existing or new certified Recycling Center must be either a nonprofit organization, local government, Joint Powers Authority (JPA), a private entity, a for-profit business, public college or university, or qualifying tribal entity. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
- Are there resources available to determine if a project site is within an unserved convenience zone or no zone?
Yes, there are resources available to determine the project site viability. For additional information, use the Convenience Zone Status (ca.gov) webpage to identify the Convenience Zone Number and status associated with the project.
- We are a community service program certified by CalRecycle. Would our community service program be eligible for this Grant?
No, a community service program is not an eligible applicant under this grant. Only existing or new recycling centers are eligible for the RIG6 cycle.
- If our Certified Program (CP) was awarded two RVM machines in a previous grant, would the company now be eligible to apply for a Bag Drop project under our Recycling Center (RC) certification, even if the machines are located at the same site?
Yes, the certified Recycling Center would be eligible to apply and place the bag drop units at the existing Recycling Center site. However, priority will be given to applications that include sites within unserved convenience zones.
- Does internet hardware purchase and installation, such as a 5G router or satellite terminal, qualify as Equipment under RIG6, provided it is necessary for the innovative method of redemption equipment to work?
Yes. Internet hardware and installation would be considered an eligible equipment cost, so long as it has a direct link to the innovative project equipment. Please refer to the Eligible Costs sections of the Procedures and Requirements document for additional information.
- Does internet connectivity monthly fee qualify as an eligible cost under RIG6 provided it is necessary to operate the innovative method of redemption equipment? If yes, would it be categorized as Equipment or Administrative (Operating Expense)?
No. Internet services would be considered an ineligible operating cost as it would fall under overhead/utilities related to daily operations.
- Can we only include education activities in our application for the RIG6 grant program?
No. Projects focused solely on education activities are not an eligible project type under RIG6.
- The RIG6 guidelines state projects must be located in an unserved zone or no zone at the time of award. If a grocery store is participating in a pilot program and is exempt from redemption requirements, would that location be considered a “no zone” or “unserved zone” for RIG6 eligibility?
No. The site would be considered to be located within a “served” convenience zone if a current pilot program recycler is operating at the site location.
- If a pilot program location still technically has a convenience zone assigned to it, would an applicant still be allowed to apply for RIG6 funding at that location?
No. The convenience zones associated with any proposed RIG6 project site will need to be unserved at the time of award. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions for additional information.
Certification
- Do applicants need to be certified and operational before the Grant Agreement is executed?
After an Applicant is awarded a grant, they will receive a Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement needs to be signed by the Signature Authority and returned to CalRecycle no later than 60 days after receiving your notice of award. Awardees must be certified within six (6) months of the notice of award and have acquired the necessary permits under local authority before receiving the Notice to Proceed (NTP). In addition, grantees must be operational within a designated time period, as stipulated in their Grant Agreement. For additional information related to the AB 1311 Bag Drop operations, please refer to the CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Homepage.
- What is the difference between a “Bag Drop recycling center” and a traditional recycling center that also uses Bag Drop as a redemption option?
A certified Bag Drop Recycling Center would be considered its own stand-alone, certified Recycling Center site. An existing certified Recycling Center, operating a weigh and pay, may also have a Bag Drop redemption option at their existing site to provide consumers with additional redemption opportunities outside of regular operating hours. Please refer to the Application Guidelines and Instructions for additional information.
Eligible Projects
- If a Recycling Center serves a convenience zone that also includes overlap from neighboring convenience zones served by other Recycling Centers, would our Recycling Center be an eligible applicant?
The project locations must be within the areas of the zone solely served by the applicant, or within an unserved convenience zone or no zone area. For additional information, please refer to the Eligibility Criteria and Evaluation Process for the Redemption Innovation Grant Program, Cycle 6 (RIG6) (Beverage Container Recycling Fund, Fiscal Years 2023–24 and 2024–25).
- Can an individual application include multiple project types under the same application?
No, only the specific project type (Bag Drop) is eligible under the RIG6 cycle of the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Projects section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
- Is there a maximum distance (e.g., radius in aerial miles) that all included sites must fall within?
No, there is not a maximum distance that the proposed project sites must fall within. However, all eligible project sites must be within an unserved zone, no zone or within a zone served by the applicant.
- Could our project tie in the costs of building our own facility in conjunction to expanding our services into the bag drop aspect of the business?
No. The purchase or lease of land is considered an ineligible cost under RIG6. Construction costs are an ineligible expense, as well. Please refer to the Procedures and Requirements document for more information.
- Are current pilot program locations eligible to apply for RIG grants at their current location if they close the pilot program site before the awards?
No. The convenient zone being served by a pilot project recycler would need to be unserved at the time of application. Pilot Project Recyclers are not eligible for RIG6. If a Pilot Project Recycler also operates a separate Certified Recycling Center, the Certified Recycling Center would be eligible to apply for the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program Cycle 6 (RIG6). For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants and Eligible Projects sections within the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
- Would you please link applicants to information on the CalRecycle page, or elsewhere, that confirms what equipment is required to open and operate a new Bag Drop Recycling Center.
No. CalRecycle does not have an approved vendor list. It is to the applicant’s discretion to decide the equipment that is most appropriate for the project.
- We are a Community Service Program, and we do all the things except for paying the person who turns in the recycling. Instead, we redeem and use the money for our nonprofit. Does this make us ineligible?
Yes. Only Certified Recycling Centers, who pay consumers at the time of redemption, are eligible for RIG6. For additional information, refer to the Eligible Applicants section within the Application Guidelines and Instructions document.
Funding
- Would customer check-in systems, QR-code systems, barcode systems, or electronic payment systems used for Bag Drop operations qualify as eligible project costs?
Yes. Check-in systems, electronic payment systems, QR-code systems, and/or barcode system costs are eligible under the RIG6 cycle, so long as these costs have a direct link to the Bag Drop equipment. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document for additional information.
- Would security cameras, monitoring systems, and customer traffic flow improvements directly related to Bag Drop operations qualify as eligible project costs?
Yes. Security cameras (not including security services/membership), monitoring systems, and/or traffic flow improvements with a direct link to the Bag Drop equipment would be considered an eligible cost under the RIG6 cycle. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document for additional information.
- For an existing certified recycling center, would a modular or prefabricated structure used directly for CRV redemption, customer intake, Bag Drop operations, or material handling qualify as an eligible infrastructure cost?
Yes. Modular or prefabricated structures with a direct link to the Bag Drop equipment would be considered an eligible cost under the RIG6 cycle. Please refer to the Eligible Costs section of the Procedures and Requirements document for additional information.
Application
- Can the entire award amount be used for the same project type (e.g., all Bag Drop)?
Yes, an entire award amount must be utilized for the specific project type that is eligible for the RIG6 cycle. Overlap of different project types that are typically considered in the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program is not eligible for this cycle. All costs associated with the project must be included in the Budget document that is submitted with the application.
- Can an entity be awarded for more than one of the four (4) RIG6-9 Grant cycles?
Yes, one applicant can apply once for each of the four (4) RIG cycles.