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HOW TO INCREASE YOUR RECYCLING INCOME BY 80% WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
by JANE BOGNER
SUNDAY, January 11, 2004

The good news: Americans are drinking more water for a healthier lifestyle. The bad news: nationwide, four of every five water bottles are going into the landfill.

Recycling rates for water bottles have dropped for seven consecutive years even though consumption has grown. Here in California, only 16 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled which means three million plastic bottles are thrown into the trash each day. The Department of Conservation, Division of Recycling has big plans to change that.

Before Governor Davis left office last October, he signed into law Assembly Bill 28 (Jackson/Pavley). Senator Sher’s bill increased the California Redemption Value (CRV) on beverage containers from 2.5 cents per container to 4 cents (8 cents on containers 24 ounces and larger). This updated bottle bill should boost recycling levels and bring more money into buyback programs and curbside recycling programs.

AB 28 (Jackson/Pavley), covers all California Redemption Value (CRV) containers. CRV drink containers include cans made of aluminum or steel and bottles made from glass or number 1 through number 7 plastics. All containers must be properly labeled with the words CA Redemption Value or CA Cash Refund. If the container does not have this label, no deposit was taken by the store selling it. Please remember to leave all labels on all containers. If the label is missing, no refund can be given.

The same exemptions apply to this updated law. There is no deposit on bottles or cans containing milk, liquor, or wine. There is no deposit on containers of 100 percent juice if the container is over 48 ounces. There is no deposit on odd containers such as juice boxes, pouches, or other odd plastic containers.

My husband and I routinely pickup bottles and cans when we are out shopping or walking in the neighborhood. Upon returning from shopping one day last week, Gary brought home an assortment of littered CRV containers that were worth 64 cents which paid for the gas used on his trip.

Just how important is single-use bottles and cans recycling? Consider the following. Using recycled cans and bottles as feedstock can save staggering amounts of energy. On average, making a new aluminum can from a recycled one uses only 5 percent of the energy that would be needed to make a can from raw materials. Recycling glass saves 31 percent energy. Recycling PETE plastic saves 57 percent and HDPE saves 75 percent.

Aluminum and glass containers are routinely remanufactured into new containers. Few PETE containers have any recycled content, but old PETE bottles can be made into fabric. Your recycled shopping bag is made from five two-liter bottles.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Californians tossed about 100 million bottles into the trash. That was enough plastic to produce 48,000 fleece sweaters, 220,000 T-shirts or 220,000 square feet of carpeting. For more items made from recycled products, check out www.greengiftguide.com which is sponsored by the California Departments of Conservation.

VALCORE Recycling will be paying all customers a bonus of 5 cents per pound for CRV aluminum. Our new buy-back prices are as follows: $1.30 per pound for aluminum, 8.2 cents per pound for CRV glass, 67 cents per pound for CRV PETE and 37 cents per pound for HDPE. Other plastic prices vary per type. For more information go to www.bottlesandcans.com.

VALCORE RECYCLING CONTEST

Instead of taking home your CRV check when you recycle at VALCORE, consider donating your CRV to one of our 32 Member or Account Groups. In addition to the new CRV rates, these groups earn an extra 10 cents per pound on aluminum cans.

Between January and March the group with the most individuals donating CRV containers to their group will earn an additional $25 bonus. Check out our website for details about joining VALCORE Recycling where “Community Recycling Makes Cents.”

VALCORE Recycling Vice President Jane Bogner's "A Sorted Affair" is published every other week in the Times-Herald, Community Outlook Section. For recycling information call Genie Kaggerud, VALCORE Recycling manager at 645-8258 or visit www.VALCORErecycling.org.

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