Increased Recycling of Empty Glass Beverage Containers Grant Program (FY 2026-2027)
Increased Recycling of Empty Glass Beverage Containers Grant Program (FY 2026-2027) supports California regional pilots with bins, collection, and transport to increase glass beverage container recycling.
Funder: California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
Due Dates: October 29, 2026 (Application) | December 1, 2026 (Authorization documents and EPPP policy) | July 22, 2027 (Progress report 1) | October 21, 2027 (Progress report 2) | January 25, 2028 (Progress report 3) | April 20, 2028 (Progress report 4) | July 25, 2028 (Progress report 5) | October 24, 2028 (Progress report 6) | January 23, 2029 (Progress report 7) | April 1, 2029 (Final report and payment request)
Funding Amounts: $250,000–$4,000,000 per award; $14,198,550 available; grant term ends April 1, 2029
Summary: Funds California regional pilot programs that purchase bins, collect and consolidate empty glass beverage containers, and transport them for processing.
Key Information: Applicants must provide matching funds equal to or greater than the grant award; other CalRecycle funding cannot count toward the match.
Description
CalRecycle administers this program under Public Resources Code Section 14544 to increase recycling of empty glass beverage containers through regional pilot programs. It supports collection from restaurants and retail establishments licensed under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act to sell beverages for onsite consumption. These include on-sale beer and wine, general, and seasonal general license holders. Collection of wine bottles from tasting rooms is also an eligible project component.
Projects must connect the full collection pathway: purchasing bins for participating establishments, collecting and consolidating their contents, and transporting the collected glass to a glass processing facility. Each pilot must serve at least five restaurants or on-sale licensed establishments across one or more California cities or counties.
