Grant Details
The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) will administer the RIG3 program to support start-up costs for recycling programs, which shall be limited to recycling centers, mobile unit programs, reverse vending machines, or bag drop programs. We anticipate announcing grant awards during CalRecycle's January 2026 Monthly Public Meeting.
Funding
- $55,397,124 available for fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24.
- Up to $5,000,000 is the maximum available per applicant.
- $500,000 is the minimum available per applicant.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Applicants
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Existing Certified Recycling Center. An existing certified recycling center is defined as an operation certified by CalRecycle to accept empty beverage containers and pay California Redemption Value (CRV) to consumers.
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New Recycling Center Business. A new recycling center business is defined as an applicant who intends to apply, and is eligible to become, a certified recycling center. This can include, but is not limited to, beverage dealers. The new recycling center must be certified prior to the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) email.
Applicants may submit only one (1) application which may include multiple innovative methods of redemption and eligible projects.
Innovative Method of Redemption Definitions
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Bag Drop Recycling Center Programs. A recycling mechanism at which consumers can drop off empty beverage containers for redemption in a sealed bag, sealed box, or other sealed receptacle.
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Mobile Unit Programs. A recycling location or locations where empty beverage containers are collected using a receptacle that is hosted by an anchor recycling center.
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Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) Programs. A mechanical device which accepts one or more types of empty beverage containers and issues a cash refund or a redeemable credit slip with a value not less than the container’s refund value.
Eligible Projects
All projects must be located within an unserved zone, or no zone, at time of award unless either of the following exceptions apply:
- The applicant is the recycling center currently serving the zone.
- They are the sole recycling center within the zone.
Eligible Projects Include:
- Setting up a new Recycling Center that uses an innovative method of redemption.
- Updating an existing Recycling Center that uses an innovative method of redemption.
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Re-establishing a Recycling Center due to destruction from wildfires.
Funds from this cycle may be used to re-establish Recycling Centers that had been destroyed or experienced damages due to a wildfire within the preceding ten years.
All projects must comply with adopted regulations and requirements. If you are a current Recycling Center who has previously received grant funding from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund within the past five years, the eligible project for this grant program needs to be a different innovative method of redemption (i.e. RVM, Bag-drop and Mobile) from what was previously funded.
Eligible costs are limited to the following:
- Administrative Costs (Operating Expenses)
- Equipment - New/Used
- Software - (Must have a direct nexus to equipment)
- Installation costs
- Shipment Costs (related to the transportation of materials)
- Shipment costs included in agreements associated with equipment purchases and the costs related to transportation of materials would be reimbursable under the Program.
- Vehicle mileage: Mileage of up to $0.70 per mile or rate identified on the CalHR website (https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/travel-reimbursements.aspx) at the time the cost was incurred or a lower rate if identified in the grantee’s mileage policy.
- Education/Outreach/Advertising - Exclusive to beverage container recycling
- Vehicles/Trucks
- Licensing and Permits
- Personnel
Project Requirements
Projects must be located within California and service California-located businesses. All applications will be required to provide Access Agreements for the proposed site location(s) at the time of application. For existing Recycling Centers, Recycling Center Certification documents must be submitted at the time of application.
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