Retailers throw endless roadblocks to CRV buyback. It’ll likely be hard for
a state inspector to catch all of these violations, b/c some of the B.S. games
only arise when stores see the same citizen repeatedly bring recycling to sell.
This is why I’d like to catch them on video! I don’t know where stores got
the idea that they can choose which containers, what hours, etc. to buy back.
The state’s law and interpretations are binding — not what stores prefer or
planned for. Granted, CRV buy-back is a slight workflow deviation and a
money loser (not a big one), but it’s just part of being a beverage retailer
in California. They could instead pay $100 a day to completely relieve their
buy-back obligation, instead of playing dumb and being passive-aggressive.
- [1] “We don’t do that; why would we?” (Um, it's your duty under state law.
You’re a high volume retailer, not within a mile of a certified recycle center,
and you’re not paying to opt out) - [2] “We don’t have that here. In two years I’m here we’ve never done it.”
Better start now. - [3] “24 ounces is not 10 cents CRV.” — Oh yes it is. See official page,
couldn’t be plainer. - [4] “We don’t take crushed cans” (b/c store up the street, with a reverse
vending machine, doesn’t.) A non-excuse. And their second-line objection:
“We only take material in clear sacks” is absurd, given that they’re going to
remove each can to inspect it for CRV legend and then count it into
their own clear sack. - [5] “We don’t take those” [little PET bottles from wellness shots°, with clear
CA CRV marking] —There was ONE in my batch, and it’s only about 1 gram
lighter than a kid-size water bottle°, so Walmart was picking a fight over
three tenths of a cent. News flash: they’re required to buy it if it’s clean
and says CRV. No exceptions, no argument.
°2oz shot examples: Vive 8-56502-00608-4, KOR 8-56841-00801-5
°8oz water examples: Kirkland 0-96619-50732-0, Refreshe 0-21130-33417-9,
Arrowhead 0-71142-00014-2 - [3] We don’t buy containers that didn’t come from this store [This is
intentional twisting of state-furnished sign’s plain language, “required
to buy back all CRV containers within this store.” — “Within this store”
speaks to location of the buyback, not the original sale.] - [5] “We’re not taking recycle. Been full for 3 days” [A non-excuse. You’ve
got ~20,000 sq ft of warehouse area, you can find room for one kitchen-size
trash sack with 50 crushed bottles.] - [6] “We only buy from 10am to 2pm” [law says, must buy during all hours
store is open] - “You can only sell 50 containers a day” — Actually, it’s fifty of each type
of material. For example, 50 PET and 50 aluminum. Few retailers understand
this, and frankly the preceding points are much more important, but if you’re
in the field checking stores, might as well check this too.
key to guilty retailers
1 Safeway #2948
at 645 San Antonio Rd (94040)
2 Walgreens #13948
at 1905 W. El Camino Real (94040)
3 BevMo #9
at 4700 El Camino Real (94022)
mgr Fausto is the source of the problem, so be sure to talk with him.
Before Fausto, even under Gopuff ownership, this store was cheerfully
compliant — but no longer.
4 BevMo #67
at 1247 W. El Camino Real (94087)
5 Walmart #2280
at 600 Showers Dr (94040)
6 Smart & Final #432
at 141 E. El Camino Real (94040)
7 Target #322
at 555 Showers Dr (94040)
mgr (I didn’ get her name) placed limits not supported by state regs.
(However, so many different team members work at customer service
desk that the recycling experience varies from visit to visit.)