News Release
Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: December 19, 2013
#2013-28
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information contact:
Media Contact: | Mark Oldfield
SACRAMENTO—California has taken another step in the state’s
concerted efforts to combat fraud in its immensely successful
beverage container recycling program.
Revised regulations effective Jan. 1, 2014, significantly reduce
the volume of California Redemption Value bottles and cans an
individual can redeem at recycling centers in a single day. As a
result, importers of out-of-state containers, which are not
eligible for CRV refunds, and scavenger fleets illegally
removing the contents of residential curbside recycling bins
will find it considerably more time-consuming and risky to reap
any ill-gotten gains.
The change, announced today by the Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), is the latest salvo in the
state’s vigorous effort to thwart beverage container recycling
fraud.
“With these much lower daily load limits, we hope wrongdoers
will make a New Year’s resolution that it’s just not worth it to
continue their illegal activities,” CalRecycle Director Caroll
Mortensen said. “They’ll have to take a lot more trips to
recycling centers, which only increases the chances CalRecycle
or our partners in law enforcement will catch them.”
The new per-person, per-day limits are 100 pounds of aluminum or
plastic CRV-eligible containers, and 1,000 pounds of CRV glass.
Previously, the limits were 500 pounds of aluminum or plastic,
and 2,500 pounds of glass. Aluminum and plastic, due to their
relatively light weight, are the most common materials found in
truckloads brought across California’s borders for illegal
redemption.
For the vast majority of consumers, the change will not be
noticeable. CalRecycle research indicates more than 99 percent
of all transactions are for less than 80 pounds of aluminum,
while the average weight is 8.7 pounds. For clear plastic
bottles, nearly 99 percent of transactions are for less than 80
pounds, and the average is 11.6 pounds.
CalRecycle is undertaking a major and multipronged effort to
protect the state’s beverage container recycling fund. Much of
the emphasis is on preventing fraud before it occurs. In
addition to the new load limits, two other program changes are
pending. One such change would enhance training of recycling
center operators. The other supports a new state law requiring
importers of out-of-state containers to enter California through
CDFA agricultural inspection stations and comply with stringent
reporting and inspection requirements that include providing
personal identification at the station, and specifying the
destination in California where they are taking the containers.