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Commission approves expansion of Our Planet Recycling contract for mobile CRV bottle-bank program
Summary
The commission voted to increase the contract amount with Our Planet Recycling from $500,000 to $1,000,000 to expand mobile and cashless CRV bottle-bank services and extend operational capacity through June 2026; commissioners asked about geographic coverage and operator capacity.
The San Francisco Commission on the Environment approved a resolution on Feb. 4 authorizing an amendment to the city’s bottle‑bank program contract with Our Planet Recycling to increase the contract amount from $500,000 to $1,000,000.
Alina Beckerman, CRV 0‑Waste coordinator with the San Francisco Environment Department, presented the item. She said the Bottle Bank mobile, cashless CRV (California Refund Value) redemption program launched in January 2022 and has returned more than $500,000 to residents to date. The proposed contract amendment would expand access — enabling more hours of operation, partnerships with reverse‑vending‑machine operators and other innovations — with the grant timeline remaining unchanged through June 2026.
Commissioners asked whether the operator had the capacity to scale and where redemption sites are located. Beckerman said Our Planet Recycling currently operates with a budget of about $400,000 annually and that four of the active bottle‑bank sites operate throughout most districts of San Francisco; the program’s headquarters and a non‑full‑scale center are in the Bayshore area. The department said additional funding would help make the mobile program more available across city neighborhoods.
Vice President Sullivan moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Ahn seconded. There were no public speakers on the item. The commission recorded “Aye” votes from President Wong, Vice President Sullivan, Commissioner Ahn, Commissioner Bermejo, Commissioner Hunter and Commissioner Tompkins; Commissioner Yuan was excused.
The amendment is intended to maintain the Bottle Bank program’s current grant timeline through June 2026 while expanding hours and pilot technologies. Staff said the operator is the only certified full‑scale CRV redemption center in San Francisco approved by CalRecycle and that the funding is secured via the city/county annual allocation from the state.
Action on this resolution does not change state law or the underlying CRV program rules; it authorizes a city contract amendment to expand local redemption services.
