California Invests $70M to Boost Recycling Sites

California is investing nearly $70 million in grants to create over 250 new recycling sites across 30 counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and various rural areas. The initiative includes innovative recycling methods such as reverse vending machines, mobile recycling centers, and bag-drop sites, aimed at making it easier for residents to redeem their beverage containers for cash. Major supermarket chains like Save Mart and Smart & Final will receive significant funding to install these machines. This effort comes in response to a decade-long decline in recycling centers in the state, which has resulted in an increase in unclaimed California Refund Value (CRV) funds. New regulations starting in January will require large beverage retailers to set up in-store recycling systems or join non-profit cooperatives to facilitate container redemption. CalRecycle plans to award an additional $215 million in grants this year to further enhance recycling infrastructure.