rePLANET has been reactivating more than 250 automated plastic bottle recycling facilities it operates throughout California. In a recent announcement, the company says they removed the reverse vending machines earlier in 2011 due to what it says were high cost California Redemption Value (CRV) conversion rate errors made by the state.
Despite the error, the company has decided to reactivate the RVMs due to increased interest from the public, and said it will bear the cost burden until the state corrects the problem.
Through the state’s redemption program, California residents receive a flat per-bottle rate, but rePLANET says that when it recycles the bottles they receive a per-pound rate determined by CalRecycle, the state’s recycling agency. The company claims the per-pound rate does not cover the cost of the refund paid to the consumer. This is unsustainable for rePLANET, which loses money every time a plastic bottle is redeemed through a machine.
The company expects to have all of its RVMs operational by Oct. 31, 2011.
Get curated news on YOUR industry.
Enter your email to receive our newsletters.
Latest from Recycling Today
- Ship dismantlers navigate new regulatory regimen
- Gershow announces several community involvement projects
- McKinsey identifies engineering polymers as a recycling opportunity
- Metso acquisition focuses on mill liner recycling
- Malaysian customs office seizes scrap containers
- Lindner establishes Brazil subsidiary
- Tire recycling veteran predicts growth in pyrolysis
- ShearCore adds FC95 to concrete processor line