California CRV Redemption

[NorvilleBarnes]

I've been involved in a handful of discussions with my superiors about whether or not a brewery is allowed to redeem waste cans/bottles for CRV credit at Redemption Centers. Aluminum can be sold as scrap but that's a fraction of the CRV value. From my understanding breweries pay CRV to the company that makes the cans/bottles. This credit is then past along to distribution companies/retailers and then the consumer.

I can't find anything specific on the Calreycle website. I'm thinking that a brewery would have to work with a Dropoff or Collection Program. (3rd paragraph down.)

Does anyone know the details?

[theomuller]

Not sure about the details, but working at a CA brewery, I've been assured that it's not possible for us to redeem our can waste for CRV, and we dump about a dumpster full of cans or bottles any given day (for about 2 years now). I'm relatively sure our management would have figured that one out years ago.

[jebzter]

Here is how the Cal Recycle program works. CRV is charged by the distributor to the retailer, when the bottle or can is sold, the consumer pays the CRV to the retailer. The distributor pays a fee to the state for all recyclable containers sold to the state which is where the CRV redemption comes from. So if you are both manufacturer and distributor(which I am), I pay a manufacturer processing fee, distributor proccessing fee and CRV to the state, then charge my customers the CRV value upon sale. If you do not sell the cans or bottles, IE they are left over, you probably can go to a recycling center and redeem them, though you would essentially be stealing from the system since CRV was never paid on them in the first place. You could also sell the containers at scrap value as well.

[NorvilleBarnes]

Here is how the Cal Recycle program works. CRV is charged by the distributor to the retailer, when the bottle or can is sold, the consumer pays the CRV to the retailer. The distributor pays a fee to the state for all recyclable containers sold to the state which is where the CRV redemption comes from. So if you are both manufacturer and distributor(which I am), I pay a manufacturer processing fee, distributor proccessing fee and CRV to the state, then charge my customers the CRV value upon sale. If you do not sell the cans or bottles, IE they are left over, you probably can go to a recycling center and redeem them, though you would essentially be stealing from the system since CRV was never paid on them in the first place. You could also sell the containers at scrap value as well.

Doesn't a manufacturer/distributor pay the state CRV in the first place? The debt is passed along to the consumer, but from what you're saying it originates with the manufacturer/distributor. So if the debt isn't passed along, why can't it be repaid to the the manufacturer/distributor?

I guess the question has been passed along to the accounting department, so if I hear the results, I'll post them.

Thanks for the input so far.

[jebzter]

It starts with the distributor, the beer manufacturer has a processing fee that is paid when you file the paperwork that says you sent x# of bottles or cans to your distributors. The Distributor also files paperwork that says they sold x# of bottles or cans, they pay the CRV and a fee. So the beer manufacturer is not paying the CRV, and the distributor passes CRV along to the consumer, but if you have bottles left over at the brewery, they have not been accounted for and paid CRV. You do not pay CRV when you buy the empty glass or cans from the brewery supplier.

[NorvilleBarnes]

That makes sense. The website should be more detailed about restrictions.
Thanks for the info.