Thumbs up: A new recycling option for California

California’s recycling rate peaked at 85% in 2013 and has since declined to about 70%.|
THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Editorials represent the views of The Press Democrat editorial board and The Press Democrat as an institution. The editorial board and the newsroom operate separately and independently of one another.

We have learned a lot recently about shortcomings of California’s beverage container recycling program, especially the difficulty faced by individuals trying to redeem 5-cent and 10-cent deposits on cans and bottles. California’s recycling rate peaked at 85% in 2013 and has since declined to about 70%, in large part because of the closure of most recycling sites around the state. There are ongoing efforts to get the program back on track — and to expand it so fewer empty bottles end up in landfills. To boost recycling, lawmakers are looking at a temporary increase in redemption rates, mobile recycling centers and reverse vending machines to collect empty containers. Meanwhile, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, is co-sponsoring legislation to end a 36-year-old exemption from the deposit law for wine and liquor bottles. Dodd said an estimated 300 million wine and liquor bottles end up in landfills every year, adding that expanding recycling opportunities would be “a win for the environment and a win for consumers.” Thumbs up.

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Editorials represent the views of The Press Democrat editorial board and The Press Democrat as an institution. The editorial board and the newsroom operate separately and independently of one another.

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