Not complying with state recycling laws has recently become very costly for some Monterey Peninsula grocers, convenience stores and markets.
That鈥檚 because the state of California is ready to collect its money from those businesses that either did not agree to, or just disregarded the option they had to provide in-store redemption to customers in order to meet state requirements. That鈥檚 after many of California鈥檚 (and the Peninsula鈥檚) rePlanet recycling stations shut down rather suddenly early last year due to the steady decline in recyclable materials commodity prices in recent years. If not, they would be required to pay a $100-per-day opt-out fee. These were the choices provided to those businesses that did not have a recycling center within a half-mile radius.
Now, after notices and a 90-day extension from CalRecycle, the agency is ready to collect what鈥檚 past due, which for some smaller mom and pop businesses is too much for their profits to cover.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard from several small retailers who suddenly received a bill for $2,800 from the state of California that are invoices forthcoming for February through June,鈥� said Jeff Lindenthal, director of communications and sustainability for the Monterey Regional Waste Management District. Lindenthal said that some retailers indicated the paper work they received from CalRecycle came from out of the blue.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an extremely unfortunate situation,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 most frustrating to us is that there seems to be no work by the state to provide new centers.鈥�
It was back in February 2016 that聽the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery 鈥� otherwise known as CalRecycle 鈥� closed 191 recycling centers, laying off 278 employees.
At the time, China was driving the demand for plastics, paper and scrap metal but when that country鈥檚 economy began to slow in 2014, demand dropped.
Others like Ted Terrasas, the sustainability coordinator for the city of Monterey, noted the effects of fluctuating oil prices on the decline.
鈥淲hen oil goes down, the cost of recyclables aren鈥檛 worth as much,鈥� said Terrasas.
According to Mark Oldfield, communications director for CalRecycle, there were approximately 2,200 certified recycling buy-back locations in the state two or three years ago. Now, he said there are approximately 1,680.
鈥淭he Monterey Peninsula was one area hit hard by the closures,鈥� said Oldfield.
鈥淲e lost five of seven centers that were operational,鈥� added Lindenthal. 鈥淲e聽lost the majority of recycling centers that served the public while most also covered the convenience zone recycling requirement.鈥� The two local centers that remain are one located behind Costco in Sand City and another at the Last Chance Mercantile located at the Monterey Regional Waste Management District in Marina.
While Oldfield said he sympathizes with the plight of smaller businesses having to adjust to the inconvenience, he also said they were given the appropriate time to make a choice.
鈥淐ertainly we recognize the strain this puts on a retailer 鈥� the mom and pop shops may not have the resources to pay that fee,鈥� said Oldfield. 鈥淎t the same time, we have to do what is provided by the current statute. When retailers don鈥檛 select an option, the result is to pay the fee.鈥�
But for some retail grocers, the choice to avoid fines and instead accept recyclables, would mean a risk to their health and food safety requirements 鈥� and that鈥檚 not an option either.
鈥淔or us, because of the health risks of bringing dirty containers into the store where we sell fresh food, it isn鈥檛 an option,鈥� said Nannette Miranda, a spokeswoman for Lucky Stores. 鈥淲e just don鈥檛 believe our customers want their food in the same area as recyclables.鈥�
Miranda said storing them in the back of local Lucky supermarkets also doesn鈥檛 make sense because that鈥檚 where they store their fresh food supply.
So instead, Miranda said the supermarket chain opted to swallow the large fines.
鈥淲e have 58 stores right now being fined,鈥� said Miranda of the chain, which includes Food Maxx, Save Mart and Lucky Stores 鈥� three of which are located on the Monterey Peninsula.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about $2 million a year for all 58 stores out of compliance,鈥� said Miranda. 鈥淚t鈥檚 painful.鈥�
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