Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 | 1:50 p.m.
LOS ANGELES — Authorities say they intercepted thousands of pounds of empty beverage containers being smuggled into California to defraud the state's recycling program.
The state Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery said Wednesday that a series of busts this summer seized 56,000 pounds of material worth an estimated $82,853 in potential California Redemption Value, commonly known as CRV.
Eight people were arrested in the law enforcement actions at Winterhaven and Needles on the California-Arizona state line and in Barstow, where vehicles were found to be carrying loads of empty beverage containers from Nevada.
California encourages recycling by requiring consumers to pay deposits of 5 cents to 10 cents on certain beverage containers that can be redeemed at certified recycling centers. Out-of-state containers are not eligible for CRV refunds.
