Success Story: CalPac Recycling

CalPac Recycling Unlocks Millions in State Grants to Bring CRV Recycling to Underserved Communities

Location: Southern California | Imperial County | Calexico

Business Type: Recycling Center

Small Business Center: San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network

Assistance Received: TFinancing/Capital Access, Business Planning, and Other Financial Management

California State Assembly District: 36 

California State Senate District: 18 

Visit CalPac Recycling online

Gabriel Lopez founded CalPac Recycling with the premise that recycling should be easy to reach. Since 2000, the Calexico company has run a buy back center open to the general public, taking in California Redemption Value (CRV) containers along with ferrous scrap, non-ferrous scrap, and fibers. It also collects recyclable material from commercial and industrial clients across the Imperial Valley, hauling away waste that would otherwise head for a landfill. 

Across much of that same valley, though, cashing in a bag of bottles and cans meant a long drive. CRV is a deposit that California shoppers pay at the register on eligible beverage containers, refundable when those containers come back to a certified center. Certified centers were scarce in the Imperial Valley, and the communities with the fewest options were often the ones that could least afford the trip. Gabriel saw both a service gap and a growth opportunity, and he set out to build recycling capacity in the places that had been passed over. 

State funding existed to make that possible. CalRecycle’s Recycling Innovation Grant program was built to cover the startup costs of new redemption capacity, and CalPac Recycling was well positioned to compete for it. The catch was that grant awards do not arrive as a blank check. Each project carried substantial upfront costs, and the company needed a capital strategy strong enough to carry construction, equipment, and staffing before a single container came through the door. 

That’s where the San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network came in. Through one-on-one consultations, advisors Jonathan Irwin, Wes Pawl, and Shawn Lynam worked with Gabriel on financing, financial planning, strategic planning, and legal resources. They helped him refine the capital strategy behind the expansion, build out financial projections for each new site, and weigh which funding structures would hold up once construction began. 

The introductions mattered as much as the analysis. Rather than leaving Gabriel to approach lenders cold, the SBDC team connected him with multiple lending institutions and helped him present the projects in terms a bank could evaluate. 

“The SBDC was instrumental in helping me refine my capital strategy and evaluate viable funding options,” shared Gabriel. “Their continued guidance and introductions to multiple lending institutions ultimately led us to the right banking partner.” 

Out of that process came a $1.35 million SBA loan. That financing was the key that unlocked the CalRecycle awards, turning approved grant projects into facilities that could actually be built rather than proposals waiting on a match. 

Recently the company secured an additional $2.4 million through the Recycling Innovation Grant program, funding a new recycling center in Brawley, a community that has lacked easy access to CRV redemption. The award is one piece of a growth strategy that has now brought in $7 million in state grant funding, supporting a new facility in El Centro, an expanded operation in Calexico, and the Brawley build. 

“Having the SBDC on my side was the X-factor that made all the difference,” Gabriel said. “Without their support, I highly doubt we would have received what has now grown to $7 million in grant funding.” 

CalPac Recycling has now grown to three locations, added six new jobs and counting, and increased annual sales by $1.1 million. As the new sites come online, recycling collection is expected to rise in underserved parts of the valley, putting redemption within reach for residents who previously had to drive out of their own communities to recycle. 

Gabriel and his team continue to build a greener, more sustainable future, while driving economic growth in the Imperial Valley. What began as one Calexico buy back center is becoming a regional network, and the combination of a clear vision and the right technical assistance is what got it there. 

Visit CalPac Recycling online to learn more about their buy back center and commercial recycling services in the Imperial Valley. 

And if you are in San Diego or Imperial County and looking to start or grow your own business, connect with the San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network to learn about their no cost advising, training, and access to capital services. 

10/1/2026