Every person at the SMaRT Station® is required to wear a face covering and comply with social distancing of at least 6 ft. Below are the state rules for CRV Buyback that we strictly enforce.
1) Splitting/dividing the containers in a vehicle is not allowed for any reason or under any circumstance. We can’t produce multiple tickets for one vehicle or accept a portion of the material from a vehicle. All material must be taken back by the customer or left as a donation with no CRV paid. If the customer chooses to take all of their material and leave the facility and come back with just the material that they wish to get the CRV for, that is acceptable by law. (Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, § 2535, f)
2) The consumer has the option of being paid based on count for up to 50 empty beverage containers of each material type. (Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, § 2535, b) (This is per vehicle, per trip. As an example, if a vehicle comes with 100 containers and asks for them by count, we count up to 50 and weigh the rest. They can’t take back 50 containers and then come back later for us to count another 50 as that would be a split load.)
3) A certified recycler shall not pay the refund value to, or claim refund value for any material received from any person, operation or entity who is not certified by the Division, delivering a load of material in excess of 100 pounds of metal or plastic beverage containers, or 1,000 pounds of glass beverage containers, per day. This limitation is applicable to all transactions, including those performed pursuant to section 2500(h) of these regulations. It is a violation of this Section for a recycling center to split loads in excess of the aforementioned weights or accept during any one day an aggregate total of material in excess of the aforementioned weights from any person not certified by the Division. (Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, § 2535, f) (This is per vehicle per day and per person per day, as an example if a customer brings 80 pounds of PET in one vehicle and then returns later that day in another vehicle with 70 pounds of PET, we can’t accept any of the 70 pounds as that would be a split load. As a company policy, if you witness a customer that might have more than the daily load limits in their vehicle, please stop them before they unload any material and inform them of this law.)
4) A load of material shall be deemed not eligible for any refund value if the vehicle used to deliver the load has a license plate from any foreign country, or any state other than California, unless the total refund value of material delivered by any one person per day does not exceed $50.00. (Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, § 2501, b)
5) For any purchase or donation of empty beverage containers the buyback operator should inspect the load to verify that all material is CRV stamped, included no previously baled material, is properly segregated, and contains no contamination including liquid. For any purchase or donation of empty beverage containers in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) or more in refund value, a supervisor will spot check the load to verify that it is all CRV stamped and to document the California vehicle license number (Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, § 2501, a)
6) The recycling centers shall prepare and maintain a copy of a press pre-numbered receipt or a receipt produced by an automatic computer-generated numbering system that cannot be altered by the participant, for any purchase or donation of empty beverage containers in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more in refund value. A copy of the receipt shall be provided to the person selling or donating the material and shall include the person's valid California driver’s license number or California vehicle license number. If neither identifying item is available, a California Identification Card number may be substituted. In the absence of any of these items of identification, a statement shall be required explaining why the additional information could not be obtained. Our policy is to take a photocopy of the driver’s license and attach it to the ticket. (Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, § 2525, a)
7) If CRV containers are not sorted by type prior to arrival for redemption, customers will not be allowed to sort them at recycling center and must take them back & return to SMaRT Station with them already sorted. (Bay Counties SMaRT company policy)
8) If CRV containers contain liquid, customers will not be allowed to empty them on-site and will be asked to take them back & return to SMaRT when they are empty and sorted. Emptying on-site is strictly prohibited. (Bay Counties SMaRT company policy)
9) If a non-CA CRV container is discovered, the entire load will be rejected, and customer will be asked to take back material. Additionally, the vehicle license plate and customer name may be logged. If customer returns another day with non-CA CRV material, customer will no longer be allowed to redeem containers at SMaRT Station. (Bay Counties SMaRT company policy)
10) If Bay Counties SMaRT feels a customer is fraudulently intending to alter weight of material, customer will no longer be allowed to redeem containers at SMaRT Station and may be reported to authorities. (Bay Counties SMaRT company policy)

If you have any questions about these laws and policies, please contact CalRecycle at (800)-Recycle or 1-800-732-9253 or email complaints@calrecycle.ca.gov