Two years ago I addressed the idea that our recycling program has problems because of the economics of recycling the various categories of items. You can see the 2021 market prices here. 90% of what you and I think is being recycled isn't. It ends up in landfill. Now it is a bigger concern because another burden has been laid on top of our small and medium-sized businesses by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). Any "dealer" which includes, but is not limited to, supermarkets, community markets, gas marts, convenience stores, liquor stores, membership bulk stores and health food stores that are more than a mile from a "convenience zone" now has to accept used bottles and cans or else. What's the "or else"? All dealers in an unserved zone must redeem empty beverage containers and provide consumers with California Refund Value (CRV) in-store or pay a $100 per day fee. That 36 grand a year!
Guess which B'game business district is full of smaller retailers that sell a few bottles of water, soda or beer per day and now get the pleasure of dedicating floor space, staff time and record keeping for refunding the CRV regardless of where people bought the containers? Yep, good old Broadway. It's more than a mile from Mollie Stone's or the Millbrae Safeway. There's a reason why the old pre-Covid standalone recycling center operated in the parking lot near the Millbrae Safeway. The bottles and cans are used, dirty and attract flies, etc. so it's naturally an outdoors or separate operation. Sorry. The state doesn't care. You have to wonder how long a lot of small businesses can stay afloat.
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