About

Pink Recycling Cooperative

Pink Recycling Cooperative is a community-centered organization expanding access to convenient beverage container recycling and redemption services across California.

Community members recycling aluminum cans at a mobile recycling center in a park.

Our mission is to expand recycling access, strengthen environmental education, support responsible resource recovery, and create meaningful community impact across California.

Through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships, we create opportunities for individuals, businesses, schools, and organizations to participate in environmental protection.

Our Mission

We envision a statewide recycling network connecting retailers, distributors, consumers, and communities through accessible recovery and redemption solutions.

Our goal is to build a scalable circular economy model that delivers lasting environmental, social, and economic benefits for California communities.

Our Vision

One Model Does Not Fit Every Community

Every business and community has different needs. Pink Recycling evaluates each location’s available space, consumer traffic, accessibility, operational requirements, and opportunities for community engagement to identify the most appropriate recycling solution.

What Makes Pink Different

A mobile recycling truck with social media and contact info, a pink recycling tent, and four blue recycling bins on a wet parking lot.

Built on Experience

Accessibility

Expand convenient opportunities for consumers to recycle and redeem eligible beverage containers.

Innovation

Use mobile recycling, automated systems, Bag Drop, Reverse Vending Machines, kiosks, and other recovery methods.

Education

Create opportunities for environmental education and greater public awareness.

Community

Connect recycling with schools, nonprofits, businesses, faith-based organizations, municipalities, and local communities.

Partnership

Work directly with participating retailers and organizations to develop solutions adapted to their needs.

Experience

Existing operational infrastructure associated with Pink Recycling California, including recycling center operations.

Meet Our Team

A woman with long brown wavy hair wearing a pink top and a gold necklace taking a selfie in front of a wall with a logo and text.

Nallely Zuñiga

Nallely Zúñiga is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Pink Recycling Foundation. With years of experience in recycling, recovery, and environmental education, she is committed to making recycling more accessible through innovative solutions, educational programs, community initiatives, and strategic partnerships that protect the environment, empower communities, and create lasting change.

Founder & Chairman of the Board

Portrait of a smiling man with glasses, short dark hair, beard, wearing a dark blue button-up shirt, against a plain white background.

Carlos Illingworth

Carlos Illingworth is CEO of The Illingworth Group, a strategic public affairs firm specializing in community relations, government affairs, communications, and business development. He serves as Director and Official Representative of Pink Recycling Foundation before CalRecycle, supporting the development, implementation, and strategic advancement of the Foundation’s Recycling Cooperative Program.

CEO of The Illingworth Group

A middle-aged man with gray hair and beard, wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a dark blazer, posing against a dark, textured background.

Julian has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including roles with the American Red Cross and as Executive Director of the Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce. Committed to environmental sustainability and community engagement, he supports Pink Recycling Foundation’s efforts to build a more eco-friendly future through collaboration and community action.

L.A. Regional Director

Julian Balderas

A young woman smiling outdoors in a wooded area, wearing a white shirt, a visitor badge, and a yellow visitor lanyard.

Aisha Andrade serves as Secretary and Ambassador of Pink Recycling Foundation. As a Political Science student at Chapman University, she is committed to environmental stewardship, community service, and civic engagement, supporting the Foundation’s relationships with local governments, educational institutions, and community organizations while promoting sustainability and community action.

Secretary & Ambassador

Aisha Andrade

Man standing between two recycling kiosks under a roof, with a large outdoor umbrella behind him, in front of a white building with a window.

Sergio Ugarte serves as Director of Operations at Pink Recycling Foundation. With experience in the business and recycling sectors, he oversees operational planning and coordination while strengthening relationships with communities, clients, suppliers, and strategic partners to support efficient, responsible operations and advance the Foundation’s environmental mission.

Director of Operations

Sergio Ugarte

A middle-aged woman with blonde hair, wearing a sleeveless cream-colored outfit, gold watch, bracelet, necklace, and red nail polish, standing in front of a dark wooden background.

Melissa Caldwell

Orange County Director

Melissa Caldwell is a longtime Laguna community member and passionate advocate for education, community, and environmental stewardship. She has been actively involved with PTSA for 12 years and has supported the Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee, reflecting her commitment to serving and strengthening her community. Melissa brings more than 25 years of leadership and operational experience as Chief Operating Officer of a successful employment law firm. She believes that investing in children, supporting local communities, and protecting the environment are essential to creating a healthier future for generations to come.

  • Two women at a store counter holding recycling information posters, with a display of rolled reusable bags labeled PINK RECYCLING CALIFORNIA in front of them.
  • Two people at a recycling station, one wearing a pink shirt with the green recycling symbol and the phrase 'Recycle with Love', and the other wearing a black shirt with the phrase 'Change in Motion' and an image of a hand holding a small plant. The recycling station is green with a logo and the word 'recycletek' on it.
  • Two blue recycling bins filled with empty plastic water bottles inside a recycling truck.
  • Two people, a man and a woman, unloading blue shopping bags from an open SUV in a parking lot. The woman is wearing sunglasses and a leopard print top, while the man is dressed in a black hoodie and brown pants. There is a large green dumpster and a wooden fence in the background, along with a partly cloudy sky.
  • Recycling truck with images of smiling people and pink and green graphics advertising Pink Recycling California, including a phone number 949-875-2837.

How Can We Help?

Find a Location
Partner with us
Make a donation
Join the cooperative