California’s Bottle Bill has been one of the most successful and cost-effective recycling and litter-reduction programs in the United States, targeting aluminum, glass, plastic, and bimetal containers.

Despite its potential, the program faces a range of challenges, foremost of which is the widespread closure of redemption centers. California has lost half of its bottle return recycling centers in the last 10 years, leaving fewer than 1,200 remaining statewide. This is the result of a drop in financial support for California’s recycling infrastructure, largely due to falling scrap values and an outdated state subsidy formula that results in severe underpayments to redemption centers. 

A number of efforts are underway to revive the program, including policy changes that expand eligible CRV containers to wine and liquor and adds stricter requirements for retailer participation in the program to ensure that community members have access to convenient recycling locations.