BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 55|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 55
Author: Corbett (D)
Amended: 5/13/09
Vote: 21
SENATE ENV. QUALITY COMMITTEE : 5-2, 4/20/09
AYES: Simitian, Corbett, Hancock, Lowenthal, Pavley
NOES: Runner, Ashburn
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Recycling: California redemption value
containers
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill prohibits a convenience zone recycler
from paying scrap value on top of the California Refund
Value paid to consumers.
ANALYSIS : According to the author's office, California's
successful Bottle and Can Recycling Law has reached
historic rates of recycling. Containers covered in this
program are recycled at almost 70 percent.
Since 1988, Californians have recycled more than 10 million
tons of aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers.
No other recycling program or policy in this state has
resulted in higher recycling levels, and no program of its
kind in the county has been found to be more cost
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effective. California's recycling industry is comprised of
5,300 establishments, 85,000 jobs, generates $4 billion in
salaries and wages, and produces $10 billion worth of goods
and services annually.
Consumes have three options to ensure their containers are
recycled. One option is a municipal recycling program that
collects recyclables at ones curb. If consumer wishes to
redeem their California Refund Value (CRV) deposit, they
can either take their containers back to a local
convenience zone recycler typically based in a parking lot
of a grocery store or to a traditional recycler that has
its own site and recycles a wide range of products.
Convenience zone recyclers receive a handling fee for
collecting beverage containers. Handling fees are used to
create more opportunities for consumers to redeem their
containers. In 2006, AB 3056 (Assembly Natural Resources
Committee), Chapter 907, Statutes of 2006, was signed into
law removing any cap to the amount of handling fees paid to
one site, any minimum number of containers a site must
redeem to receive handling fees, and reduced of the
handling fees paid per container.
This bill protects a competitive market place between
convenience zone recyclers and traditional recyclers.
This bill prohibits convenience zone recyclers who receive
handling fees from paying a scrap value on top of the CRV
to consumers thereby reducing the viability of convenience
zone recyclers that do not pay that scrap value or
traditional recyclers who do not receive a handling fee.
Any recycler that violates this provision will risk having
their handling fees suspended by the Department of
Conservation.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/12/09)
Allan Company
Californians Against Waste
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Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Tomra Pacific, Inc.
TSM:cm 5/13/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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