San Francisco's BottleBank - Is this the Bottle Bill Fix?
Track
Markets
Session Description
On January 5th, 2022, San Francisco launched a new mobile recycling pilot program to facilitate recycling and make it easier for residents to reclaim their California Redemption Value cash deposit for recyclables.
The new program, called the BottleBank® CRV Redemption System, is being funded by the California Department of Resources and Recycling Recovery through implementation of Senate Bill 458 (2017).
To participate in the program, residents can sign up online or in-person and receive bags with special barcodes. Participants can then fill up the 20-gallon bags with uncrushed CRV bottles and cans and drop them off at mobile collection sites, operated by the non-profit organization San Francisco Conservation Corps.
Once the recyclables are counted, participants can get their refund amount deposited into their accounts. The funds can then be transferred to their bank or Venmo accounts, or transferred to a card for cash.
The pilot uses bottle drop technology from the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (a partner in the pilot) and Waste Zero bags with QR codes for matching the bags to the customer. Our Planet Recycling (one of only two certified redemption centers left in the City), the recycler of record hosts the processing system.
Let's see if this works!
Speakers
Kevin Drew, San Francisco Department of the Environment
Title
Special Zero Waste Projects Coordinator
Speaker Abstract
When the Market Street recycling center closed in 2013, it caused a cascade effect. Market conditions and issues with supermarket parking lot sites led to the closure of over 800 redemption centers throughout California. This led to the creation of numerous "recycling deserts," including in San Francisco which had once hosted over 30 sites for beverage container recycling.
The perception of recycling as a dirty business that attracted rowdy people and other nuisances led many supermarkets to evict their recycling centers and, instead, pay (or not pay) a $100 per day fine (as required by CalRecycle).
For the past five years, the City has been crafting a solution. After meeting with small mom & pop beverage dealers and supermarket chains and reviewing alternative programs in Maine and Oregon, the Bottle Bank concept emerged as a way to reduce impacts on the stores and increase convenience for residents.
The program launched in January and by September, we will be able to tell you how it's working and what it's going to take to fix the Bottle Bill for San Francisco.
Ors Csaszar, Our Planet Recycling
Title
Principal
Speaker Abstract
The BottleBank brand was developed for San Francisco as a project of the San Francisco CRV Convenience Alliance. The BottleBank program includes a website (https://sfbottlebank.org) and mobile app where customers can track their deposits and get their nickel back. The BottleBank branding and logos are displayed on the pilot trucks and worker clothing. Branding will be important to the success of the program as it creates buzz, recognition and customer loyalty. The national beverage companies (Coke, Pepsi, Bud) know the importance of branding and can become partners in the program, eventually sponsoring parking lot locations and supporting schools and scouts in recycling drives and fundraising. Download the app from the app store, collect your cans and bottles and come and redeem them in San Francisco. Then let your legislators know that you want a BottleBank equivalent in your community.
Jules Bailey, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative
Title
Executive Vice President
Speaker Abstract
With over 50 years of experience operating a bottle deposit and return program, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative is one of the most experienced and successful Extended Producer Responsibility organizations in the world. OBRC is now partnering with the City of San Francisco, Cal Recycle, Our Planet Recycling, and the San Francisco Conservation Corps to bring technology and innovation to the BottleBank pilot. This session will give an overview of the BottleDrop program in Oregon, and how it relates to BottleBank in San Francisco, highlighting the program's operational efficiency and consumer accessibility. It will give an inside look at not only the operations, technology, and programs underpinning the program, but also the legislation and policy behind it.