The state Health Department yesterday awarded a total of $3 million to operators of beverage-container redemption centers, who plan to open new locations and improve their existing operations.

Goodwill Industries, one of the recipients, will operate six redemption sites while the remaining companies — Reynolds Recycling, Maui Disposal Co., Honolulu Recovery Systems, Aloha Glass Recycling Inc and RRR Recycling Services Hawaii — will use the money to improve their service.

Laura Kay Rand, a Goodwill vice president, said the organization hopes to have the six redemption centers up and running by mid-summer. No locations have been decided but some of the centers will be located at existing Goodwill stores, she said.

She also said Goodwill will use reverse vending machines at the redemption centers in which cans are placed in the machines and tickets for refunds returned.