SAN DIEGO COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Winning Through Recycling

California consumers are starting to return empty beer and soda containers at record rates. The volume of recycled empties took a huge jump after the state shrewdly boosted the refund value from a penny per empty to a nickel for every pair of cans or bottles. The higher incentive is working to get litter off of roads, parks and beaches.

The recycling figures are up in every category. Nearly 72% of all containers were returned during the first six months of this year. The rate more than doubled for plastic containers. The recycling of glass bottles increased by 69%. And aluminum cans--traditionally recycled at a respectable 50% rate or higher because of the lucrative scrap value--were also tossed into more return bins.

The combined recycling works out to 249,000 tons of empty drink containers. Reusing those bottles and cans instead of tossing them into the trash will take a big load off swollen landfills. Recycling also saves on energy, an important consideration at this sensitive time.

In San Diego County, 17 of 18 cities have set up or are phasing in curbside service. That recycling method is much easier than ferrying empty containers to recycling centers, reverse vending machines or other depots.

The original bottle law was a laborious compromise forged after two decades of battles between environmentalists and bottlers. It didn’t take effect until 1987. The initial penny reward, however, elicited low returns.

Finally the Legislature upped the ante, approving three nickels for a six-pack of empties instead of a handful of pennies. A nickel is a large enough reward to motivate more returns.

Californians annually consume 12 billion sodas and beers. Those empty containers belong in a return bin. Recycling pays off with nickels that add up, as well as big environmental dividends.