All "Re-Planet" Recycling Facilities In CA Close; Convenient LB/Lakewood/Signal Hill Locations Vanish

LBReport.com

News

If LBREPORT.com didn't tell you,
who would?No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report.

LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.

(August 5, 2019, 9:10 p.m.) -- If you're among those who used the multiple grocery-store-adjacent "Re-Planet" recycling facilities in Long Beach, Signal Hill and Lakewood (or anywhere in CA) to get a few cents back on recyclable bottles and cans, you'll have to find somewhere else. They're gone. All of them in CA have ceased operations and closed effective immediately.

A company statement at late afternoon Aug. 5 speaks for itself:

rePlanet Closes Operation: Company Statement rePlanet Closes All of Their Recycling Operations and Lays Off Their Entire Workforce
On August 5th, 2019, rePlanet ceased operations and closed all of its 284 recycling centers and processing facilities and is terminating its entire workforce throughout the State of California.
With the continued reduction in State fees, the depressed pricing of recycled aluminum and PET plastic, and the rise in operating costs resulting from minimum wage increases and required health and workers compensation insurance, the Company has concluded that operation of these recycling centers and supporting operations is no longer sustainable. As such, rePlanet will be filing for Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) and its remaining assets will be liquidated by the Assignee.
We regret that these site closures will negatively impact our employees, grocer partners, customers and the recycling community at large. We thank our employees for their hard work and dedication in providing convenient recycling opportunities to our valued customers across the State of California.

[Scroll down for further.]

The company announcement caught Sacramento's (state government) recycling agency by surprise. "CalRecycle" issued a statrement saying the state had "taken acton to stabilize the Beverage Container Recycling Program" subsidies paid to beverage container buyback facilities to help cover their cost of processing materials.

Sponsor

But the independent group "Consumer Watchdog" issued a statement charging Sacramento with ignoring warning signs in the program months ago and called on Governor Newsome now to "make reform of the broken bottle deposit system a top prioity this fall." The group called for "making it mandatory for bottles and cans to be redeemed at any retailer that sells them." It said California should "join other states and European countries that make bottle deposit systems work by making the beverage industry responsible for the products they make, package, distribute and sell."

Sponsor

[Consumer Watchdog statement]..."A March report by Consumer Watchdog found that consumers get only about half of their nickel and dime bottle and can deposits back each year, despite paying $1.5 billion in 2018. (Read the report here)
The group recommends making it mandatory for bottles and cans to be redeemed at any retailer that sells them.,
Eight out of nine other states require beverage retailers to take empties back in store along with redemption centers. Some states make the beverage industry responsible for running the programs and offering consumers convenient ways to redeem empties...

It's not immediately clear what complex effects the disappearance of the multiple Re-Planet recycling locations might have for the area's homeless and transient populations and nearby neighborhoods.

Sponsor

Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.