2021 Press Releases

SACRAMENTO–Every year, California discards enough plastic to fill 80,000 Olympic-sized pools. In response to a lagging statewide recycling rate and rising public concern about this surge of single-use trash polluting our neighborhoods and ocean, California is modernizing its recycling system to expand reuse and in-state remanufacturing.

SACRAMENTO– To help feed 1 in 5 Californians without enough to eat and cut climate emissions from the over 1.8 billion still fresh, surplus meals landfilled in the state every year, California is funding food recovery projects with $2.8 million in new grants. This new program is part of the state’s latest $270 million investment in the climate fight and California’s transition to a renewable economy. “State food recovery investments have already provided 142 million meals to Californians in need since 2018,” California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Director Rachel Machi Wagoner said. “Local food recovery projects provide an incredible opportunity to feed hungry members of our communities instead of wasting unsold food by dumping it in landfills to emit climate super pollutants.”

SACRAMENTO–Bakersfield retailer Valley Mattress will pay $63,034 in penalties and back payments for collecting customers’ recycling fees, then failing to submit them to California’s mattress recycling program. The retailer also did not provide requested compliance records to state inspectors as required by California’s Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act (mattress recycling law).

SACRAMENTO – More help is on the way for the nearly 1 in 4 Californians left hungry by the COVID-19 economic downturn. As part of California’s fight against the climate crisis, California announced $3.5 million to 12 local projects that reduce climate super pollutants by redirecting still-fresh, surplus food to Californians who need it most.

SACRAMENTO–To confront a surge of pandemic-fueled, single-use trash pollution and a global climate crisis, California is investing $25 million in local communities to modernize recycling systems. Long-term upgrades from our disposable economy to one centered on reuse and in-state remanufacturing could create over 100,000 much-needed new jobs.

SACRAMENTO–The organization representing carpet manufacturers will pay the state $1,175,000 in penalties for its repeated failure from 2013 through 2016 to meet recycling and landfill diversion goals under California’s Carpet Product Stewardship Law. The settlement agreement follows a California Third District Court of Appeal ruling affirming administrative civil penalties against Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE).