The City of Culver City selected SoCal Recycling to launch a mobile recycling program on July 9 at two locations in Culver City. The company was approved by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to pilot a new way of collecting recyclables for CRV redemption that is expected to boost consumer access to recycling and could serve as a new model for more convenient and environmentally responsible redemption statewide.
“Mobile recycling is a smart, strategic move by the City of Culver City and CalRecycle because it solves the CRV redemption challenge for consumers and retailers, while working to achieve green goals,” said SoCal Recycling’s Armond Abramian, who notes mobile recycling will also serve more of the population by moving around to different parts of the city.
“This innovative mobile collection program is critically needed today because nearly 300 additional recycling centers shut down across the state last year.”
Over the last five years, California’s recycling center count has dropped from about 2,700 facilities to 1,200 centers. That makes it more difficult for consumers to get their deposits back, effectively creating a tax for them.
The process is also proving challenging for retailers who sell beverages since they must redeem the CRV containers themselves or be located within close proximity of a recycling center.
A mobile recycling solution reduces or eliminates some of the negative issues associated with a fixed-base recycling center or collection bins.
The new mobile program will work to improve the appearance of areas around retail centers. Additionally, trucks have small footprints and can move to multiple locations in a city, so more people will have convenient access to redemption options.
The sites where a SoCal Recycling truck will be located in Culver City initially includes:
10772 Jefferson Blvd. on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (behind Ralphs) and
11030 Jefferson Blvd. on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SoCal Recycling estimates, based on past experience, the mobile recycling truck will process about 40,000 containers of glass, plastic and aluminum per day.
Those wishing to recycle their bottles and cans need to separate the material prior to arrival. Daily load limits are 25 pounds of aluminum, 25 pounds of plastic and 100 pounds of glass per vehicle.
Material should be placed in your trunk to optimize contactless recycling services. A mobile recycling technician will take the bags, weigh them and process the payment, so people don’t need to get out of their vehicles. Payments will be made at the mobile recycling location rather than asking people to go inside a store to get their money.
Walk-up customers will find spots to wait in near the collection truck at appropriate social distancing measurements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks are still required, and recycling materials will need to be separated in bags.