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Council agrees to continue CalRecycle ‘recycle from home’ pilot; company seeks higher service fee ceiling
Summary
Corona will remain a pilot partner in CalRecycle's Recycle From Home program. The program has diverted CRV and paid residents but the operator seeks flexibility to raise its service fee ceiling to cover costs after grant funding ended.
The Corona City Council agreed to continue the city’s participation in CalRecycle’s Recycle From Home pilot program after staff reported early metrics showing steady resident participation and CRV diversion. The private operator requested flexibility to raise its service-fee ceiling to remain financially sustainable now that grant support has ended.
City staff said the pilot has no cost to the city and that staff had authorized CalRecycle to list Corona as a pilot jurisdiction. The city’s participation gives residents a door‑to‑door option to return CRV containers and receive CRV payments without visiting a recycling center. Staff reported roughly 2,000 Corona residents are signed up and the program has diverted about 160,000 pounds of CRV since 2023.
Damian Hickman, a partner with Recycle From Home, said the operator retained 10% of collected CRV under its original model to cover operations and that rising costs and the loss of CalRecycle grant support make higher retention or a subscription option necessary. “Our proposed changes — our goal is to simply establish a service fee ceiling,” Hickman said, adding the operator may move to a tiered ceiling (for example, 20–30 percent) or offer a $5.99 monthly subscription for high-volume customers.
Council members who use the service described it as convenient and noted the program assists elderly and mobility‑limited residents. Several members said they supported continuing the pilot and asked staff to document performance and participation. Staff and council requested the company refine any proposed fee increase and said they would continue the pilot pending that information.
The operator also told council it would move to direct deposit payments rather than mailed checks and would continue outreach and event pickup coordination. Council consensus favored continuing the program; staff will monitor participation and the operator’s proposed fee schedule.
