California signs law expanding bottle deposit return points

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 955, legislation by Sen. Catherine Blakespear that tightens the state's beverage container deposit (CRV) system by requiring collection zones to have capacity for all bottles and cans sold locally, ending so-called recycling "dead zones". The law closes gaps left by the 2021 SB 1013 reform, including reliance on single reverse vending machines with limited capacity, and clarifies which stores must participate. It takes effect 1 January 2027.

Why this mattersTighter CRV collection-capacity rules raise compliance obligations for retailers and recyclers, and could lift feedstock volumes for beverage-container recycling in the largest US deposit market.

• Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 955, sponsored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear; the signing was announced on 19 September 2026.
• The law requires collection zones to have capacity to take back 100 percent of CRV-eligible bottles and cans sold in that zone.
• It closes a gap in the 2021 SB 1013 reform under which a single reverse vending machine could satisfy a convenience zone's requirement.
• The bill clarifies which stores must participate in California's dealer cooperative recycling arrangements.
• Co-sponsors are the Circular CRV Association and the California Grocers Association.
• SB 955 takes effect on 1 January 2027.

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