Dec 13 - Recycling Rates Continue to Rise in Down Economy

The San Jose Mercury News highlighted the Bottle Bill program, seeing a silver lining in dark economic times when recycling rates soar. CA's successful bottle bill redemption program reached an 82% recycling rate last year, due to increased CRV value and the recession. In 2007, the redemption value of cans and bottles increased from 4 cents to 5 cents each container.

According to Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste:

I do think we have seen a boost in recycling rates because of the economy. Part of it was that the redemption rate went up to a nickel. When you are looking at how to make ends meet, you might not notice a few pennies, but a nickel gets on the radar screen.

The benefit to higher recycling rate includes extending the life of our landfills, reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, preventing the mining of virgin resource, creating green jobs and much more.

Learn more about CA's Bottle Bill Program