Recycling Market Development Zone

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The Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) program provides low interest loans and assistance to businesses that prevent, reduce, reuse or recycle waste materials through manufacturing or another value-added process.

Low Interest Loan Program

Overview of the loan program:

The RMDZ Loan Program is administered by the California State Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). By establishing zones throughout the state, the RMDZ Loan Program helps divert waste from landfills and stimulate local markets for recycling and recycled-content products.

RMDZ loan funds may be used for the following:
  • Purchase of machinery and equipment
  • Working capital
  • Real estate purchase
  • Real estate leasehold improvements
  • Real estate capital improvements
  • Refinancing of onerous debt that impacts the diversion of recycled or secondary material
  • Loan-closing points
cardboard flattened for recycling

Business Assistance Program

RMDZ Loan Program is more than a loan program. Businesses receive technical assistance even if they do not apply for or receive an RMDZ loan. In addition to the loan, the RMDZ program can provide information about the following to eligible businesses:
  • RMDZ Program Overview and Services
  • Financial Incentives Programs (grants or loans)
  • Tax Incentives
  • Permitting Referrals
  • Siting Opportunities
  • Locating Feedstock Sources
  • Marketing and Networking
  • Connecting to Mayor’s Office of Economic Development
Man with protective face covering working with machinery

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible for the RMDZ program, a business must accomplish the following:

  • Have projects located inside Los Angeles, and
  • Manufactures products using recovered waste material generated in California, or
  • Processes California waste into a usable feedstock, or
  • Reduces waste in the manufacturing process.
For more details regarding eligibility, please see the ELIGIBLE PROJECTS tab below.

RMDZ Feedstock CalRecycle

Projects must be in one of the following categories in order to be eligible for the RMDZ Loan Program: Waste Prevention; Reuse; or Recycling, Composting, In-Vessel Digestion, and Remanufacturing. A wide variety of projects are eligible. If you have a waste-reducing project or business model, contact us to discuss your eligibility.

WASTE PREVENTION

Waste Prevention projects change the process by which products are made, resulting in a net reduction of feedstock used and/or waste generated. This can be accomplished by modifying equipment or processes, improving operations and maintenance, or changing materials in manufacturing. The project will result in less waste generated during the manufacturing process.


REUSE

Reuse projects will prolong the useful life of a product, delaying final disposal or recycling, and may involve the repair, repurposing, reconditioning, washing, or treatment of a worn or used product that makes the product usable again for its originally intended purpose or for a similar purpose.


RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, IN-VESSEL DIGESTION, AND REMANUFACTURING

Projects in this category produce a recycled intermediate material from non-hazardous solid waste or a recycled content finished product from non-hazardous solid waste and/or a recycled material.

 


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