Tri-CED Community Recycling

33377 Western Avenue
Union City, CA 94587
(510) 471-3850

www.Tri-CED.org

Open five days a week:
Tuesday–Saturday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

Tri-CED Community Recycling is a certified California Redemption Center and pays for aluminum cans, plastic beverage bottles, glass bottles, and containers that are labeled with the CRV (California Redemption Value) symbol.

What is California Refund Value? 

California Refund Value is the amount paid by consumers at the checkout stand when they purchase bottled and canned beverages, and is paid back to consumers when they recycle eligible containers. The minimum refund value established for is 5 cents for each beverage container under 24 ounces and 10 cents for each container 24 ounces or greater. This is because of the California Beverage Container and Litter Reduction Act passed in 1987 to help increase beverage container recycling rates.

Thanks to this cash incentive, 230 billion aluminum, glass, and plastic beverage containers have been recycled since the program first started. Last year, Californians bought 21 billion beverages in aluminum, glass, plastic, and bi-metal containers. Over 17.2 billion of those containers were recycled saving natural resources, conserving energy, and extending the life our landfills; however, nearly 6 billion beverage containers were tossed in the trash and disposed in California landfills.

What are the rules regarding being paid on a per-container basis?

California law allows you the option of being paid based on count instead of weight for up to 50 empty beverage containers of each material type. This means you can bring up to 50 aluminum, 50 glass, 50 plastic, and 50 bi-metal California Redemption Value (CRV) containers and request to be paid by count. Just be sure that you inform the site attendant of your load content and how you would like to receive payment before you hand over your load. Any consumer who has been denied this right by a recycling center can file a complaint via email or by calling 1.800.RECYCLE.

Paid by weight

If you’re recycling more than 50 containers of any one material type, the decision to pay by count or weight is under the authority of the recycling center operator.

Tri-CED Community Recycling also accepts free of charge:

• Electronic waste (E-Waste) including televisions, computer screens/monitors, VCRs, stereos, radios, telephones, cell phones, and other common electronic products. No kitchen appliances please.
• Large amounts of cardboard.
• Used books, magazine, DVDs, and video tapes.

Due to the stormwater runoff law, it is important that all glass, metal, and plastic containers you bring to TRI-CED for recycling be dry and free from any liquid.

Please visit the CalRecycle Beverage and Container Recycling webpage learn more about CRV.