Container Recycling Institute

What Container Recycling Institute does

Container Recycling Institute (CRI) is a Culver City, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded in 1991 that produces original research, data products, and policy advocacy on beverage container recycling in the United States. Its core deliverable is the Beverage Market Data Analysis (BMDA), a PDF/Excel workbook of 39 tables consolidating sales, recycling, and wasting data across carbonated and non-carbonated beverages in seven packaging types, drawn from more than 20 industry and government sources and licensed at $2,000 per standard package and $1,000 per 501(c)(3) nonprofit package. Supporting products include the periodic "Bottled Up" report, the Aluminum UBCs Report, annual Redemption Rate Reports, a Weekly Headlines e-newsletter, a Data Archive of recycling metrics, a member webinar series, a Waste Counter Widget for partner websites, and formal Letters and Briefings submitted to state legislatures.

CRI generates revenue through three streams: one-time BMDA publication sales (perpetual license), recurring membership and partnership fees, and online donations. Its customer base spans three primary verticals: federal and state government agencies and legislators (testimony and policy analysis, including appearances before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Environment & Public Works and state-level CalRecycle work in California), environmental advocacy organizations, and the beverage industry. The organization is led by President and Executive Director Susan Collins (appointed 2009) following founder Pat Franklin's death in 2012, and operates with a 1-10 employee footprint from Culver City.

Name

Container Recycling Institute

Legal name

Container Recycling Institute

Website

https://container-recycling.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Container Recycling Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that produces original research, data products (BMDA workbook, periodic reports), and policy advocacy on beverage container recycling for U.S. federal and state governments, environmental organizations, and the beverage industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycling Research & Policy Advocacy

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Symbiosis & Byproduct Exchange Platforms (EUAIANAG)

Keywords

• Beverage container recycling
• Recycling policy research
• Deposit return systems
• Container recovery data
• Recycling market analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Culver City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. BMDA Publications Sales: The Beverage Market Data Analysis (BMDA) is sold as a PDF workbook containing 39 tables with sales, recycling and wasting data. Packages cost $2,000 for regular organizations and $1,000 for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
2. Membership Fees: CRI offers membership and partnership options that provide benefits including complimentary registration to CRI webinars, technical assistance and more.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website to support its mission of original research and advocacy on beverage container recycling.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CRI produces original research, data analysis and policy advocacy focused on beverage container recycling in the United States. Its central paid product is the Beverage Market Data Analysis (BMDA), a PDF/Excel workbook of 39 tables aggregating sales, recycling and wasting data across packaging types from 20+ industry and government sources. The organization also publishes periodic research reports (e.g., "Bottled Up"), policy letters and briefings, a weekly e-newsletter, a public data archive, and hosts webinars, while providing technical assistance and legislative testimony on deposit return systems and extended producer responsibility.

Product overview

Container Recycling Institute offers a portfolio of research publications, data products, and educational resources focused on beverage container recycling. The core offerings include the Bottled Up Report (periodic analysis of beverage container sales and recycling trends) and the Beverage Market Data Analysis (BMDA) - a comprehensive data workbook with 39 tables covering beverage sales, recycling and wasting data. Additional products include the Weekly Headlines e-newsletter, Data Archive with recycling metrics, Letters and Briefings (legislative advocacy documents), CRI Webinars for members, and the Waste Counter Widget for partner websites. The organization operates primarily as a nonprofit research and advocacy institute rather than a commercial software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beverage Market Data Analysis (BMDA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Deposit states achieve 84% average redemption rate vs. significantly lower rates in non-deposit states
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 21 Recycling Organizations CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026CRI signed onto a coalition letter with 21 other organizations in the recycling space to support CA AB 1149 for plastic market development payments. Coalition letters are formed on specific legislation and dissolve after the legislative session.
• ReloopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRI collaborates with Reloop on videos about deposit return systems, including 'Reloop + CRI' video productions and joint presentations on the Impact of Deposit Return Systems on Beverage Sales (July 2023). The partnership combines CRI's research expertise with Reloop's policy and industry knowledge.
• Bottle Bill Resource GuidecoreOthersCRI references the Bottle Bill Resource Guide (bottlebill.org) as a complementary resource for information on bottle bills and deposit return systems.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bottle Bill Resource Guide: Information resource specifically on U.S. and international bottle bills / deposit return legislation. Directly comparable as a policy-information hub cited by CRI itself as a complementary resource.
• As You Sow: Nonprofit focused on corporate sustainability, including recycling and packaging waste reduction. Comparable as an advocacy nonprofit that engages shareholders, legislatures, and corporations on packaging and recycling policy.
• The Recycling Partnership: Nonprofit that funds and improves residential recycling programs across the U.S. Comparable as a recycling-focused nonprofit working with governments and industry, though oriented more toward curbside programs than DRS.
• Reloop: Global nonprofit focused on deposit return systems and circular economy policy; directly collaborates with CRI on joint videos and reports (e.g., 'Impact of Deposit Return Systems on Beverage Sales', July 2023). Highly comparable in mission and DRS focus.

Others

• Plastics Industry Association: Trade association representing plastics manufacturers, often on the opposing side of DRS debates. Relevant adjacent stakeholder CRI engages against in legislative contexts (e.g., coalition letters, opposition testimony).
• Closed Loop Partners: Investment firm and incubation platform focused on circular economy and recycling infrastructure. Tangentially related — engages on similar issues (EPR, recycling systems) but from a capital-deployment angle rather than research/advocacy.
• R Street Institute: Think tank engaging on environmental and recycling policy from a market-oriented perspective. Thematically related through state-level policy work on packaging and EPR, though operating with a different ideological lens.

Broad incumbents

• CalRecycle: California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery — the state agency that administers the Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act. CRI engages with CalRecycle directly on regulations and budget proposals.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Major environmental advocacy organization with programs on waste reduction, recycling, and packaging policy. Comparable in mission and legislative engagement, but vastly larger in scope and resources.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Large environmental nonprofit engaged on recycling, packaging, and producer responsibility policy. Operates in adjacent policy space with overlapping advocacy interests but a much broader mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user22423646
• Xx.com/CRI_Recycle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Container Recycling Institute