The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is seeking applications for its Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program.
Donor Name: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/16/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The purpose of the grant is to issue up to $73,333,000 to support start-up costs for recycling programs, which shall be limited to recycling centers, mobile recycling, reverse vending machines, or bag drop programs. These funds are also available to existing recycling centers for the purpose of establishing mobile recycling to expand outreach. No more than 50 percent of these funds shall be used for any one type of program from the following list: mobile (satellite) recycling, reverse vending machines, or bag drops.
Funding Information
$40,000,000 is available for this grant cycle, fiscal year 2022–23, including $2,500,000 allocated for Community Service Programs (SP) and $1,000,000 allocated for small Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) projects subject to funding availability.
- Dealers, Existing and New Certified Recycling Centers ($37,500,000 allocation):
- The minimum grant award amount is $500,000. The maximum grant award is $3,000,000.
- Small RVM Projects ($1,000,000 allocation) – the minimum grant award is $30,000. The maximum grant award is $100,000.
- Community Service Programs ($2,500,000 allocation):
- The minimum grant award is $30,000. The maximum grant award is $300,000.
A single entity may submit multiple applications, but the entity may only receive up to $9,000,000 in awarded funds.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects include:
- Mobile Recycling. Defined as a recycling center that redeems empty beverage containers at more than one location and reports under a single certification identification (ID).
- The expanded recycling services must not be within a served zone unless either of the following exceptions apply:
- the applicant is the recycling center currently serving the zone;
- and they are the sole recycling center within the zone.
- The expanded recycling services must not be within a served zone unless either of the following exceptions apply:
- Reverse Vending Machines (RVM). Defined as machines that pay customers for beverage containers placed in the machine.
- Bag Drop Programs. Defined as a method of redemption offered by recycling centers where consumers redeem empty beverage containers by delivering the containers to stationary locations in a sealed bag, box, or other receptacle for the recycler to inspect and weigh at a time or location other than where the containers are redeemed.
Eligibility Criteria
California Labor Code section 1782 prohibits a charter city from receiving state funding or financial assistance for construction projects if that charter city does not comply with Labor Code sections 1770–1782. If any applicants or participating entities are charter cities or Joint Powers Authorities that include charter cities, the lead participating entity must certify on the Detail tab of the application that Labor Code section 1782 does not prohibit any included charter city from receiving state funds for the project described in this application. If it is determined after award that an applicant or participating entity is a charter city prohibited from receiving state funds for this grant project, the grant will be terminated and any disbursed grant funds shall be returned to CalRecycle.
Private entities must be authorized to conduct business in the State of California, by either being registered with the California Secretary of State as a business located in California, being registered as a foreign (out-of-state or out-of-country) business or processing a business license issued by a California city, county, or city and county.
Private, nonprofit entities, in addition to being registered with the California Secretary of State, must also be registered with the California Department of Justice, and appear on their Registry of Charitable Trusts. If a nonprofit entity is excluded from registering with the Department of Justice, proof must be provided with the application.
Eligible applicants include:
- Dealers. A retail establishment in an unserved convenience zone which offers the sale of beverages in beverage containers to consumers that is required to either redeem in store (Option A) or pay $100 a day to CalRecycle (Option B). These entities are not required to be certified as a recycling center. All Dealers must submit an affidavit to CalRecycle that states they choose to redeem in-store prior to the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) email. Dealers may only apply for reverse vending machine (RVM) projects.
- Existing Certified Recycling Centers. An existing certified recycling center is defined as an operation certified by CalRecycle to accept empty beverage containers and pay a California Redemption Value (CRV) to consumers prior to the issuance of the NTP email.
- New Recycling Center Businesses. A new recycling center business is define certified recycling center. This can include, but is not limited to, beverage dealers. A new recycling center must be certified prior to the issuance of the NTP email.
- Community Service Programs (SP). Community service programs are operated by a nonprofit/charitable organization with tax exempt status, or a city, county, or other public agency. SPs are not able to pay CRV. SPs may operate RVMs, engage in setting up drop-off bins at specific sites or collect from various locations such as schools, churches, or parks. Charitable organizations (e.g., environmental groups, community groups, and municipal governments) often become certified as a community service program as part of their fundraising efforts.
Organizational types within the four eligible applicants identified above include:
- Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit organizations (except private K–12 schools) registered with the federal government under 501(c)3, (c)6, or (c)10 of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Local Governments. California cities, counties, and other local government entities.
- Private entities and for-profit businesses.
- Public colleges and universities.
- Qualifying Tribal Entities. A “Qualifying Tribal Entity” is defined as a tribe, band, nation, or other organized group of community, residing within the borders of California, which:
- is recognized for special programs and services provided by the United States because of the status of its members as Native Americans; or
- can establish that it is a government entity, and which meets the criteria of the grant program.
For more information, visit CalRecycle.
