California Raises Beverage Container Refunds

Lynn Schenkman

Sacramento -- Outbound California Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill Oct. 12 that will increase the refund value of beverage containers in an attempt to raise the state’s recycling rates. Assembly Bill 28 will raise the deposit from 2.5 cents to 4 cents and 8 cents for larger containers. According to Mark Murray, executive Director of Californians Against Waste, if the recycling rates fail to reach 75 percent by the end of 2006, the refund value will increase to 5 cents for small containers and 10 cents for large containers