The Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) program combines recycling with economic development to fund new businesses, expand existing ones, create jobs, and divert waste from landfills.

The program was developed by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as part of an ongoing effort to increase the diversion of waste going to landfills. It is a partnership between CalRecycle and local jurisdictions.

This program provides business and technical assistance, product marketing, and financial assistance to businesses that manufacture a recycled-content product or process materials for recycling. Projects must be located in California and preferably be in a CalRecycle designated Recycling Market Development Zone.

Criteria to receive assistance from Los Angeles County RMDZ

Use an eligible material in manufacturing a recycled-content product or process materials for recycling. The following materials are eligible and are a priority of CalRecycle to develop sustainable markets:

  • Agricultural waste
  • Construction and demolition debris
  • Food waste
  • Green waste
  • Paper
  • Plastic
  • Waste automotive tires

Ineligible Materials
Materials which have a history of being recycled and/or any material for which it is illegal to dispose of in a California landfill. These materials include:

  • Metals (steel, aluminum, brass, copper, etc.)
  • Electronic waste (computers, televisions, and any item which operates on battery power and/or has an electrical cord)
  • Batteries of any kind
  • Medical waste including sharps (needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin to deliver medication)
  • Hazardous waste
  • Radioactive waste

Waste Prevention Projects

  1. Modifying equipment or a process to manufacture a product using less raw material
  2. Purchasing equipment in order to reduce waste generation

Reuse Projects

  1. Architectural salvage
  2. Preparing reclaimed lumber for resale

Recycling Projects

  1. Manufacture a product with recycled-content
  2. Produce feedstock from recycled-content (examples include plastic flake and crumb rubber)

Conversion Technology and Biomass Projects

  1. Conversion technology (thermal, chemical, or biological)
  2. Biomass (biomass fuels such as wood or agricultural waste)

Advantages of the Los Angeles County RMDZ

As the largest manufacturing center in the United States, Los Angeles County possesses an abundant supply of recycled-content materials available for manufacturing and is an ideal location for most types of businesses. Depending on your needs, there are many ways the Los Angeles County RMDZ may assist your business. Here are four:

Locate Feedstock
Feedstock can vary in specifications, quantity, and reliability of source. Although finding these manufacturing materials may prove challenging, RMDZ can help by facilitating communication between companies looking for the same materials or establishing relationships between complementary businesses. For more information on feedstock sources or locations at which you can post your materials, visit the following sites:

Feedstock can vary in specifications, quantity, and reliability of source. Although finding these manufacturing materials may prove challenging, RMDZ can help by facilitating communication between companies looking for the same materials or establishing relationships between complementary businesses. For more information on feedstock sources or locations at which you can post your materials, visit the following sites:

Marketing is important to the success of any company. If your company produces products made from recycled-content materials, it may be listed on the CalRecycle’s directories following sites:

The RMDZ Loan Program provides direct loans to businesses and nonprofits that are located in a Recycling Market Development Zone. The purpose of these loans is to promote market development for waste materials.

Whether your business is located in the Los Angeles County RMDZ or not, you may need assistance which we cannot provide, or have a question we are unable to answer. For additional business assistance, contact the following agencies:

Contact Information
Please call the Los Angeles County RMDZ at (626) 979-5506, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.