Letter To The Editor

(Reprinted by permission of Francisco Alonso)

August 26, 2019

Micheal Hiltzik

Los Angeles Times

Dear Mr. Hiltzik,

As the world is going down for the count, small potatoes hardly matter at all. Nevertheless tiny issues are capable of mighty irritation. So it is with California Cash Refund (CRV), a program with the promise of satisfying some of our recycling needs. Unfortunately the big supermarkets right from the start were unhappy with the inconvenience and began an effort to undermine the system. They pointed to noise pollution, and human blight, such as homeless people and scavengers, along with perpetual debris as sufficient reason to close down local recycling outposts. As local community recycling centers vanished travel time lengthened and so did the lines.

Sensible customers abandoned the effort as they realized that to redeem $4 would require perhaps five miles of travel each way and an hour standing in liner Consequently recyclables ended up in the trash bin. This outcome of course has been a windfall for trash companies who can through their material recovery facilities claim deposits on containers diverted from the landfill. Furthermore, the state of California is also a happy camper, given that any bottles or cans that slip by will end up in the landfill and will never be redeemed.

The solution is what some other states do: namely to disallow the sale of beer, soda and water unless a handy and timely redemption is at hand. lt would not be surprising that if this rule were to be adopted and enforced at the big retailers, they would quickly see the wisdom of going very green indeed.

Sincerely,

Francisco Alonso

Monterey Park, California