Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: May 7, 2019
News Release #2019-13
Media Contact: Sydney Fong
Grants help reduce harmful carbon emissions and support local economies
SACRAMENTO–The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has awarded more than $11 million to five companies in Butte, Fresno, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties to increase the state’s recycling infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The businesses will create 68 new jobs and utilize nearly 23,000 tons of recycled material per year to manufacture new products.
CalRecycle’s Recycled Fiber, Plastic, and Glass Grant Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities.
“Long-term sustainability depends upon our ability to close the loop in California and turn our waste stream into a supply stream for local businesses,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline said. “Not only are these projects a great way to repurpose recyclable material and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they also help diversify our local economies.”
The grants seek to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by expanding existing capacity or establishing new facilities in California that use California-generated postconsumer recycled fiber (paper, paperboard, cardboard, or textiles), plastic, or glass to manufacture products. In addition to conserving natural resources, manufacturing products from recycled materials often requires less energy and results in fewer GHG emissions than making products from virgin materials.
CalRecycle received 14 eligible applications requesting $32.9 million in funding. Awards were granted to the five highest-scoring applicants based on criteria that included greenhouse gas reductions and materials diverted from landfills.
| Applicant | County | Project Description | New Jobs | Total Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envision Plastics | San Bernardino | Purchase and install new equipment to produce HDPE (#2 plastic) flake using 3,480 tons per year of recycled containers and agricultural film. The resulting feedstock will be used to manufacture new goods and products in California. | 15 | $2,940,000 |
| FDS Manufacturing | Fresno and Riverside | Acquire new equipment to process and pelletize an additional 2,000 tons per year of polypropylene (#5 plastic) and polyethylene (#4 plastic) for use in the manufacturing of bins, pallets, angle board, and other commercial products. | 28 | $2,962,564 |
| Netafim | Fresno | Fund the expansion of Netafim’s closed-loop recycling operation to collect, shred, wash, and pelletize an additional 9,612 tons per year of used plastic farming irrigation tubing at the end of the material’s useful life and remanufacture the HDPE (#2 plastic) pellets into new irrigation tubing. | 15 | $2,011,647 |
| Roplast Industries 7 | Butte | Acquire a new de-inking system to recycle an additional 2,500 tons per year of otherwise landfilled LDPE (#4 plastic) for use in the production of new retail and reusable grocery bags. | 7 | $2,478,014 |
| Shark Glass Recycling West, LLC. 3 | San Bernardino | Fund the creation of a new windshield and building glass recycling facility to separate glass from a resin interlayer on 5,392 tons per year of otherwise landfilled material. Resulting materials will be used to manufacture new fiberglass building insulation and carpet tiles. | 3 | $1,283,401 |
| Total | 68 | $11,675,626 | ||
Tonnage estimate is a projected number of processed tons per year at full implementation.
Eligible applicants for CalRecycle’s Recycled Fiber, Plastic, and Glass Grant program include cities, counties, and other local agencies; businesses; California universities and colleges; nonprofit organizations; and qualifying Indian Tribes.
Subscribe to CalRecycle’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant and Loan Programs Listserv to receive funding availability notifications, applicant and project eligibility requirements, and important deadline dates.
For more information contact: Office of Public Affairs, opa@calrecycle.ca.gov
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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.