It could be Dry January for some, however a newly expanded recycling program might make it rain for Californians with empty wine and liquor bottles.
California recycling facilities will now redeem wine and liquor bottles — in addition to pouches, packing containers and cartons — for money as a part of the state’s Beverage Container Recycling Program.
Supporters say increasing this system to incorporate wine and liquor bottles, which was approved with the passage of Senate Invoice 1013 in 2022, will assist increase California’s recycling efforts and divert extra waste that in any other case may wind up in a landfill.
“Including wine and spirits to California’s Beverage Container Recycling Program cuts waste and air pollution whereas offering extra materials for producers to make new merchandise as a part of California’s round economic system,” Rachel Machi Wagoner, director of the California Division of Assets Recycling and Restoration, mentioned in a press release.
Beginning this yr, anybody buying wine or liquor will be charged an extra 5 cents for bottles lower than 24 fluid ounces in quantity and 10 cents for bigger bottles. Different containers, corresponding to plastic pouches, bags-in-a-box or cartons will probably be topic to an extra 25-cent cost. Costs in shops will probably be up to date to replicate the will increase.
For context, a standard measurement for wine and liquor bottles is 750 ml — or a bit greater than 25 fluid ounces.
The extra fees will offset the California Redemption Worth paid out when these containers are recycled within the state.
Sure beverage containers product of glass, plastic, aluminum and bi-metal — corresponding to beer bottles, soda cans and water bottles — have been already included in this system.
CalRecycle estimates the growth will result in an extra 1.1 billion bottles being recycled within the state yearly.
“With SB 1013 we are able to enhance the recycling charges of hundreds of thousands of bottles that might in any other case wind up in our landfills or be illegally discarded,” state Sen. Invoice Dodd (D-Napa) mentioned in a press release after the invoice handed by way of the California Legislature.
An estimated 491 billion cans and bottles have been recycled in California since 1988 underneath the Beverage Container Recycling Program, together with a document 19.5 billion in 2022, in accordance with CalRecycle.
“One of many nice issues about glass is that it’s 100% infinitely recyclable,” mentioned Nigel Dart, vice chairman of Gallo Glass Co., in a video launched by CalRecycle.
