Beverage Container Recycling Program

Did you know that on average, each Californian consumes 571 beverages with California Redemption Value (CRV) per year?

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By recycling those beverage containers, we can do our part to conserve resources and reduce waste going to landfills. Plastic bottles can take up to 700 years to dissolve. The water bottle you recycle can become new clothing and the aluminum can you recycle can become a new aluminum can over and over again, conserving 95% of the energy used to produce cans from raw materials. 

So why does the CRV on the bottle matter?

 

CRV = Recycling Refund

When you purchase beverages packaged in glass, plastic, or aluminum containers, there is an additional recycling fee called the California Redemption Value.

 

Check your beverage container labels for CA CRV, CA CASH REFUND, or CA Redemption Value.

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If your beverage container is eligible, your CRV recycling fees can be refunded by taking the empty, clean beverage containers to a local recycling center.

The current recycling fee that can be refunded is:

  • 5 cents for containers less than 24 oz.
  • 10 cents for containers more than 24 oz.

4R's: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

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Remember the 4R's to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable community!
 1. Rethink your habits to minimize waste
 2. Reduce waste, choose beverages with less packaging
 3. Reuse what you already have and choose reusable items such as reusable water bottles over one-use items
 4. Recycle what you cannot reuse and choose recyclable over non-recyclable items

 

Eligible CRV Beverage Containers

What beverage containers can be recycled for CRV?

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The following list of aluminum, glass, plastic, and bimetal beverage containers ARE ELIGIBLE for CRV: 
  • Water Bottle

  • Soda Cans and Bottle

  • Fruit Drink Bottle

  • 100% Fruit Juice Bottle (< 46 oz.)

  • Vegetable Juice Bottle (≤ 16 oz.)

  • Sports Drink Bottle

  • Coffee and Tea Drink Bottle

  • Beer and Malt Drink Bottle

  • Wine Cooler Bottle

 
 
The following list of beverage containers ARE NOT ELIGIBLE for CRV:
 
  • Milk Jug

  • Infant Formula Bottle

  • Medical Food Bottle

  • 100% Fruit Juice Bottle (≥ 46 oz.)

  • 100% Vegetable Juice Bottle (> 16 oz.)

  • Wine Bottle

  • Distilled Spirit Bottle

  • Food and Non-Beverage Containers

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Locations of Certified Recycling Centers

Where are the certified recycling centers in South Gate?

There are currently three beverage container recycling facilities available in the City of South Gate:

Evolution Recycling Inc. #15

8116 California Avenue

South Gate, CA 90280

(818) 427-8256

 

Ecology Recycling

9309 Rayo Avenue

South Gate, CA 90280

(323) 500-1187

 

Lucky 7 Recycling

13307 Paramount Boulevard

South Gate, CA 90280

(323) 443-7143

 

 

Recycling centers are independently owned and operated.

 To find other certified beverage container recycling facilities near you and the recycling center hours of operation, you can
 call: 1-800-RECYCLE or visit the website: CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Program Locator.

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Beverage Container Recycling Activities

What are some fun ways to get involved and learn about

  Beverage Container Recycling?

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Sort Your Eligible CRV Beverage Containers

  1. Collect all the beverage containers your household goes through in a week or month.

  2. Review the list of eligible CRV beverage containers.
  3. Sort through which beverage containers are eligible for CRV and which are not eligible for CRV. Make sure the beverage containers are clean and free of contaminants.

  4. Check for a certified recycling center near you and the hours of operation.

  5. Bring the CRV eligible bottles and cans to a certified recycling center near you to redeem CRV.

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Join a Local Clean-Up Effort

  1. Take a walk around your community with a bag and safely pick up beverage containers such as plastic water bottles, aluminum soda cans, and other litter you find.

  2. Bring clean, eligible CRV beverage containers to a certified recycling center, recycle what you can, and throw away what you cannot recycle.

  3. Share your trash collection data to apps such as the Litterati App or CleanSwell App to inspire friends and family and inform and create positive environmental policy changes.

  4. Join socially-distanced community cleanups such as the Los Angeles WaterKeeper Six Cleanup Challenge.

Start Your Own Classroom/School Recycling Challenge

  1. Talk with your teacher or school staff about starting a beverage container recycling competition in your class or between classes.

  2. Help educate your class/school about which beverage containers are CRV eligible.

  3. Once the challenge is approved, set a goal for how many beverage containers the challenge should generate, and what program(s) the CRV refunds will support.

  4. Challenge each other in collecting and ultimately recycling the beverage containers.

 

Beverage Container Recycling Online Educational Activities

  1. Visit the CalRecycle Recycle Rex Activities Listing for beverage container recycling-themed games, crossword puzzles, and hidden message puzzles (K-5th grade).

  2. Play the EPA Recycle City Games to implement the 4 R's (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in a model town (3rd-6th grade).

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Beverage Container Repurpose DIY Crafts

If your beverage containers are not CRV eligible, you can recycle the containers or repurpose the containers for DIY crafts such as:

  1. Hanging bird-feeder using: a plastic bottle, wooden sticks/spoons, string, and bird seed.

  2. Planter using: a plastic bottle, gravel, dirt, string, and plants/plant seeds.

 

 

 

FAQ

Q: What is CRV?

A: CRV stands for California Redemption Value. When you purchase beverages packaged in glass, plastic, or aluminum containers, the CRV is an additional recycling fee called the California Redemption Value.

When you return the eligible CRV beverage container to a local certified recycling center, you are refunded this recycling fee.

*Please note that out-of-state (not CA) Redemption Value cannot be refunded at certified recycling centers in California.

Q: What are eligible CRV beverage containers?

A: See list of eligible CRV beverage containers and list of non-eligible beverage containers here: Eligible CRV Beverage Containers. To be sure, check your beverage container labels for CA CRV, CA CASH REFUND, or CA Redemption Value and keep the labels on the containers.

Q: Do I need to prepare the eligible beverage containers before I take it to a certified recycling center?

A: The eligible beverage containers need to be clean, free of contaminants, and without excess liquids. Keep the labels on the containers. It is also advised to group together similar beverage types, such as plastic water bottles for one group and aluminum soda cans for another group. You can call your local certified recycling center to ask about the center's specific beverage container preparation preferences, such as crushing or not crushing aluminum soda cans.

Q: How am I refunded the CRV?

A: When you take your eligible CRV beverage containers to a certified recycling center, the recycling center may receive your collection as a per pound refund or on an individual eligible beverage container basis. You can contact your local certified recycling center beforehand to ask for the center's preferred refund method (by weight or individual) and hours of operation.

The current rate per pound is linked here: January 2021 Per Pound CRV Rate.(PDF, 30KB)

The current rate per individual beverage containers are:

5 cents for containers less than 24 oz.

10 cents for containers more than 24 oz.

*Please note there is a limit of 50 containers per material type.

Q: Can a recycling center pay less than refund value?

A: Yes, the certified recycling centers are independent businesses, non-profit/community organizations, or local government facilities. Certified recycling centers assess beverage containers brought to the facility for potential contamination (dirt, liquid, other substance). If the containers are deemed contaminated by the recycling center, the recycling center may pay less than the standard refund value to account for the weight of excess substances.

Q: Where can I find more information about the Beverage Container Recycling Program?

A: You can visit the CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Website for more information about the state-wide Beverage Container Recycling Program or call the City of South Gate at (323) 357-9657 for more information about your local Beverage Container Recycling Program.

 

 

 

 

For more information, please visit the Calrecycle website.

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