California busts $14M scheme to bring cans, bottles in from Arizona for recycling
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}California recycling officials say they've busted a ring of fraudsters who trucked more than 200 million cans and bottles from Arizona to illegally redeem $14 million in refunds.
A grand jury in Kern County indicted five Californians on charges including grand theft and recycling fraud in an alleged scheme.
Recyclable containers sold in California include a five- or 10-cent charge, depending on their size. The money is refunded when the cans and bottles are recycled. Out-of-state containers can't be redeemed in California because the cans or bottles were not subject to the initial charge.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to CalRecycle, about 18 private recycling centers were implicated in the scheme because they accepted the Arizona cans and bottles. The centers are responsible for determining containers' origins.