Publication: NBC Bay Area
More than 400 California retailers owe the state of California a combined $12.2 million in CRV "opt-out" fees, according to records obtained by NBC Bay Area.
That discovery comes as California legislators are working on a number of proposed overhauls to the state's troubled recycling program, as more consumers find themselves unable to get back their five- and ten-cent deposits paid for every canned and bottled beverage.
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Meanwhile, lawmakers in Sacramento are running out of patience. Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, said he expects CalRecycle to hold all those stores accountable.
“People may say, ‘Hey, these fines, I haven’t had to pay them; it’s okay,’" Asm. Ting said. "But unfortunately, when the state calls, they’re going to have to pay all of it.”
Asm. Ting is pushing the California Legislature for a total CRV overhaul. It could take years, but Ting says it's necessary.
"The program is stuck in the mud," he said. "We really need to re-think this program, and completely redesign this program."
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