SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – The Prince Recycling center in Point Loma was served a final eviction notice after nearby residents pushed to have it shut down because they said it brought transients and criminals to their neighborhood.
The eviction notice gives Prince Recycling 30 days to vacate, but while the latest chapter in this saga is local, the issue of what to do with recycling centers across California is proving to be problematic.
If the recycling center on Voltaire Street closes, it may add to larger issue because more than 800 California recycling centers have shuttered their doors over the last three years.
Don Sevrens and other Point Loma residents have pushed to shut down Prince Recycling. “My concern is that the state law is going to force it go somewhere else nearby and we really would not have solve the issue.
News 8 tried reaching out to owner James Prince multiple times, but he did not answer his phone.
Prince set up shop back in 2014, after he reached an agreement with Stump’s Marketplace.
California law mandates that certain stores: A) Be located a half mile from a recycling center or B) Buy back recyclable items they sell. If they do not, they must pay a $100 a day fine.
News 8 reached out to Dirk Stump via phone. The owner of Stump Marketplace said he would have no comment Wednesday night, but he has previously said he would likely be forced to pay the $100 fine.
Experts said many centers are closing across the state because there are fewer incentives for recycling – along with public concerns over the centers getting louder.