Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program
Forecasted
Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program supports dealer cooperatives and recycling centers with mobile, bag drop, and reverse vending projects to expand consumer access to container refunds.
Funder: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2027 (Cycle 5 application) | July 2027 (Cycle 5 authorization documents) | June 2027 (Cycle 9 application) | July 2027 (Cycle 9 authorization documents)
Funding Amounts: Cycle 5: $500,000–$10 million per award ($40 million available) | Cycle 9: $400,000–$2.5 million per award ($18 million available)
Summary: Supports beverage container redemption through dealer cooperative mobile, bag drop, and reverse vending projects, plus recycling-center reverse vending programs.
Key Information: Cycle 5 requires an approved dealer cooperative stewardship plan at application; Cycle 9 serves existing or eligible new recycling centers.
Description
CalRecycle’s Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program expands opportunities for consumers to redeem empty beverage containers for California Refund Value (CRV). Cycle 5 supports dealer cooperatives: nonprofit stewardship organizations made up of member dealers that provide redemption services under an approved stewardship plan. Projects must serve unserved zones identified in that plan.
Cycle 5 funds staffed mobile redemption services, pickup services at consumers’ addresses, bag drop receptacles for later collection and redemption, and automated reverse vending machines that pay customers at deposit. Cycle 9 focuses specifically on start-up costs for reverse vending machine programs operated by existing or eligible new certified recycling centers. Its machines accept empty beverage containers and issue cash refunds or redeemable credit slips worth at least the containers’ refund value.
