Vending

California to award $18M in reverse vending machine grants

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October 19, 2026

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California is preparing to award$18 million in grants to expand access to reverse vending machines that allow consumers to return eligible beverage containers for recycling.

The funding, administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, is part of the state's Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grant Program. The initiative is intended to increase automated redemption opportunities and make it easier for consumers to recover deposits paid on bottles and cans.

Applications for the latest funding cycle closed June 23, 2026, with conditional grant awards scheduled for October, subject to approval. CalRecycle's next monthly public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. The agency has not yet confirmed approval of the Cycle 9 awards. The grants could support additional reverse vending machine installations at grocery stores, convenience stores and other retail locations, potentially expanding access to beverage container redemption.

The funding comes as California continues to address a decline in traditional recycling redemption locations. An investigation by KPBS News found the state had lost approximately half its beverage container redemption centers over the preceding decade, leaving consumers with fewer opportunities to reclaim their deposits. Expanding reverse vending machine availability could help address those gaps by providing automated collection points in locations consumers already visit, while supporting the state's broader recycling and beverage container recovery goals.