Item 07 - OC Grand Jury’s Investigative Report, Findings and Recommendations Regarding “Where Have All the CRVs Gone”

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Where Have All the CRVs Gone? 2021-2022 Orange County Grand Jury Page 12 Pilot program jurisdiction is defined as a city, county, or a combination thereof, that has authority to issue a grant permission for a certified pilot program recycler to operate in the designated pilot project area. Jurisdiction must meet at least one of the following criteria: • The jurisdiction must have at least six unserved convenience zones. • At least 75 percent of all convenience zones are unserved. Local jurisdictions can now apply to turn their recycling deserts into hubs for convenient bottle and can redemption. California has approved five additional pilot grants, and the grant pilot program has been extended until June 30, 2026. The Governor has allocated an additional $10 million to support the local pilot programs. Additional Grant Opportunities Currently, in Orange County, there is one grant pilot program operating. This program, called Recycle from Home, is a joint effort between the City of Irvine and the program’s founder, Ryan Bloom. Irvine was an ideal location for a pilot program because of its high-density population with unserved CRV redemption zones. Recycle from Home picks up recycling directly from the resident’s doorstep and deposits CRV refunds into the user’s account of choice, minus 10 percent paid to the program. Participants are responsible for sorting their CRV recyclables and placing them in specially coded bags provided. Once the bag is ready, residents simply schedule a pick- up with Recycle from Home through an app or phone call and place the bag(s) on their porch. The OCGJ found this program to be an innovative way to return CRV funds to the consumers. Additionally, CalRecycle offers the Beverage Container Recycling Grant Program. Beginning September 30, 2021, and ending June 28, 2024, grants are available to cities for beverage container recycling. The goal of this program is to reach and maintain an 80 percent recycling rate for all of California refund value beverage containers-aluminum, glass, plastic, and bi-metal. Unlike the Grant Pilot Program, no redemption element to consumers is required. The requirements are: • The projects must be in California. • Reimbursement will not exceed the amount stated on the Grant Agreement Cover Sheet (CalRecycle 110). • The grantee will ensure that the recycling bins, if applicable, are serviced on a regular basis and that collected material is transported to a certified recycling center. • The grantee will ensure, if applicable, that it and/or other entities certified to collect beverage containers are certified or registered by CalRecycle in the proper category and will provide the Grant Manager a copy of the certification certificates(s) upon request.