Lessons From Other States to Address California’s Redemption Center Closures

Since January 1, 2016, over 300 “convenience zone” (CZ) recycling centers—those generally located within a half mile of supermarkets—have closed. (This represents about one-fifth of all recyclers.) CZ recycling centers are an important part of California’s Beverage Container Recycling Program (BCRP). They provide a convenient location for consumers to recycle beverage containers and have their deposit—the California Redemption Value, or “CRV”—repaid. Our May 2016 web post, Addressing California’s Convenience Zone Recycling Center Closures, identified market factors—specifically declining scrap values—and BCRP program payments that do not sufficiently cover recycler costs as the main causes of the closures. We also provided options that the Legislature could consider to help prevent additional closures. This post continues the examination of closures by reviewing programs in other states and identifying additional options to improve convenient recycling options in California.