Redemption Deserts · California
California redemption deserts and unclaimed deposits
Can people in California get their CRV back? It depends on where they live. Here is how far people live from a place to return bottles and cans.
3,847,042people live in a redemption desert
9.7%of people in California (rank 3 of 10)
$400.2 millionunclaimed deposits (2023)
70%recycling rate (2024)
How sure are we? High. The list is the full CalRecycle list of certified recycling centers. Few stores take returns in California, so this is close to complete.
Key findings for California
- About 3,847,042 of 39,538,223 people live in a redemption desert.
- 671,792 people live more than 10 miles from the closest return spot.
- 3,312,986 people live in crowded areas more than 3 miles from a return spot.
- The typical trip is 1.3 miles in a straight line. 38.4% of people live within 1 mile.
- Sierra County is hardest hit. 100% of people there live in a desert.
- $400.2 million in deposits went unclaimed in 2023.
Unclaimed money and return rate
- Unclaimed deposits: $400.2 million (2023). Source: NWRA Bottle Bill Escheats Summary Report (Dec 2025), Table 1, compiled from CalRecycle data. Unclaimed CRV stays in the state Beverage Container Recycling Fund.
- Return rate: 70% (2024), the recycling rate. Source: CalRecycle, Biannual Report of Beverage Container Sales, Returns, Redemption, and Recycling Rates (calendar year 2024).
- Deposit: 5¢ for containers under 24 oz, 10¢ for 24 oz and larger.
Map of California counties
Map loads as you scroll…
Worst counties
| County | People | In a desert | Share | Typical trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County | 3,236 | 3,236 | 100% | 17.4 mi |
| Alpine County | 1,204 | 1,204 | 100% | 15.5 mi |
| Santa Cruz County | 270,861 | 180,621 | 66.7% | 11.7 mi |
| Trinity County | 16,112 | 8,823 | 54.8% | 15.3 mi |
| Modoc County | 8,700 | 4,187 | 48.1% | 7.8 mi |
| Mono County | 13,195 | 5,996 | 45.4% | 2.5 mi |
| Siskiyou County | 44,076 | 17,994 | 40.8% | 8.7 mi |
| Marin County | 262,321 | 99,843 | 38.1% | 7.3 mi |
| Contra Costa County | 1,165,927 | 436,765 | 37.5% | 3.6 mi |
| San Mateo County | 764,442 | 248,200 | 32.5% | 2.6 mi |
| Town or place | People | In a desert | Share | Typical trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica city | 93,043 | 93,043 | 100% | 5.4 mi |
| San Ramon city | 82,231 | 68,180 | 82.9% | 9.1 mi |
| Pleasanton city | 80,029 | 64,792 | 81% | 5.7 mi |
| Milpitas city | 77,867 | 62,740 | 80.6% | 4.3 mi |
| Santa Cruz city | 61,717 | 61,717 | 100% | 14.8 mi |
| Newport Beach city | 85,844 | 55,705 | 64.9% | 4.2 mi |
| Encinitas city | 60,597 | 50,864 | 83.9% | 5.6 mi |
| Dublin city | 73,243 | 48,983 | 66.9% | 6.5 mi |
| Walnut Creek city | 70,330 | 47,640 | 67.7% | 4.7 mi |
| Brentwood city | 64,739 | 44,686 | 69% | 6.3 mi |
Best-served places
| County | People | In a desert | Share | Typical trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | 873,965 | 0 | 0% | 0.7 mi |
| Stanislaus County | 552,878 | 0 | 0% | 0.8 mi |
| Yolo County | 216,403 | 8,915 | 4.1% | 0.9 mi |
| Kern County | 909,235 | 17,642 | 1.9% | 0.9 mi |
| Los Angeles County | 10,014,009 | 580,716 | 5.8% | 0.9 mi |
| Glenn County | 28,917 | 1,374 | 4.8% | 1 mi |
| Orange County | 3,186,989 | 185,472 | 5.8% | 1 mi |
| Sutter County | 99,633 | 770 | 0.8% | 1.1 mi |
| Town or place | People | In a desert | Share | Typical trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maywood city | 25,360 | 0 | 0% | 0.3 mi |
| Bell city | 33,461 | 0 | 0% | 0.3 mi |
| Florence-Graham CDP | 61,983 | 0 | 0% | 0.3 mi |
| Garden Grove city | 177,927 | 0 | 0% | 0.4 mi |
| Cudahy city | 22,811 | 0 | 0% | 0.4 mi |
| Reedley city | 24,009 | 0 | 0% | 0.4 mi |
| Montebello city | 62,944 | 0 | 0% | 0.4 mi |
| Huntington Park city | 54,883 | 0 | 0% | 0.4 mi |
Where to return bottles in rural California counties
These are the most rural counties. We list the closest return spots to where most people live. Distances are straight-line. Call ahead.
| County | Typical trip | Closest return spots |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra County | 17.4 mi | Grizzly Creek Services (Portola, 14.1 mi) · Eastern Regional Landfill (Truckee, 24.4 mi) · Quincy Recycler (Quincy, 34.5 mi) |
| Alpine County | 15.5 mi | South Tahoe Refuse Company Inc (South Lake Tahoe, 15.5 mi) · Eastern Regional Landfill (Truckee, 43.6 mi) · Valley Recycling Inc (Pine Grove, 49.3 mi) |
| Trinity County | 15.3 mi | Hambro Recycling Weaverville (Weaverville, 10.7 mi) · Hambro Recycling (Willow Creek, 35.2 mi) · Northstate Recycling (Redding, 38.5 mi) |
| Siskiyou County | 8.7 mi | Yreka Transfer Recycling (Yreka, 12.3 mi) · Siskiyou Opportunity Center (Mount Shasta, 21.3 mi) · Hambro Recycling Weaverville (Weaverville, 63.3 mi) |
| Modoc County | 7.8 mi | Blue Water Recycling Corp (Alturas, 4.7 mi) · Hambro Recycling - Burney (Burney, 68.6 mi) · Blue Water Recycling Corporation (Susanville, 77.5 mi) |
| Mariposa County | 6.8 mi | Mariposa County Landfill Recycling Center (Mariposa, 2.7 mi) · Jerry & Willie's Recycling (Oakhurst, 21.9 mi) · Sandoval Recycling (La Grange, 22.3 mi) |
| Calaveras County | 6.7 mi | Valley Springs Recycling (Angels Camp, 6.5 mi) · Valley Springs Recycling (Valley Springs, 10.1 mi) · M & R Recycling LLC (Jackson, 16.6 mi) |
| Lassen County | 5.7 mi | Blue Water Recycling Corporation (Susanville, 1.9 mi) · Feather River Disposal (Greenville, 25.4 mi) · Quincy Recycler (Quincy, 35.5 mi) |
See all 1,309 California return spots · Download county data (CSV)
How we did this
We used 2020 Census data on where people live. We found the closest return spot on our California list in a straight line. A desert is more than 10 miles away, or more than 3 miles in a crowded area. Read the full method.
Our California list: Source: CalRecycle Beverage Container Recycling Center locator, retrieved 2026-10-12