Little-known recycling law has retailers scrambling

The closure of Sonoma Valley’s only buy-back recycling center may force all beverage retailers into becoming recycling stations – or pay $100 a day to avoid the hassle.

The area’s CRV buy-backs had been handled by rePlanet, a state-certified company operating out of Safeway’s south parking lot. But, citing a bad market for commodities pricing of aluminum and plastic, the company shut down 191 of its California locations in January, including Sonoma.

“We’ve never had this kind of situation before,” said Mark Oldfield, of CalRecycle, the state agency that oversees the buy-back program. “It’s kind of a perfect storm of factors affecting not just beverage container buy-back centers, but the recycling industry as a whole.”

The Sonoma location had fulfilled the requirement as the area’s buy-back center. Without it, said the state, any retailer that sells beverages “must share the responsibility.”

“It’s not a Safeway problem, it’s an industry problem,” said Dave Heylen, speaking for the California Grocery Association. Under the rules, he said, a large grocer would have to maintain a dedicated line or area for buy-back transactions. Health and safety, as in dirty, leaky bags and boxes, are also a concern.

“Stores are not quipped to deal with it,” Heylen told The Sun. “It’s an undue burden to put on one retail category.”

A letter from the state’s CalRecycle program has been sent to all area beverage dealers — including supermarkets, gas marts, convenience stores and liquor stores – giving them 60 days to start paying consumers the refund value on all empty CRV beverage containers. The alternative is to pay the state a $100 per day opt-out fee.

Sonoma City Councilmember Madolyn Agrimonti said she and city staff have received a few inquires and complaints, but there’s nothing the city can do. County officials must also defer to the state’s process.

“There are buyback locations in Petaluma and Santa Rosa, so if your constituents want to be paid for the bottles and cans, they’ll have to drive,” said Patrick Carter of the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency. “Sorry I don’t have better news.”

Heylen’s group is working with CalRecycle to try to keep container buy-backs out of stores. “We’re scrambling,” he said. “The process worked well for 30 years, but the marketplace is different now.”