California Recycling Director To Resign In December

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The director of the agency that oversees recycling programs in California is resigning amid criticism that the agency needs an overhaul.

Scott Smithline announced Thursday that he'll leave his post with the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery at the end of December. A spokesman for the agency, known as CalRecycle, confirmed the news.

CalRecycle has been attacked by Consumer Watchdog, which says California has lost half its recycle centers in the past six years.

The advocacy group estimates Californians forfeited at least $308 million in nickel deposits on cans and bottles last year because it's hard to find a place to recycle them.

Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court says he hopes the resignation leads to an overhaul of the state's bottle deposit system.