BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 341
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 341 (Chesbro)
As Amended May 5, 2011
Majority vote
NATURAL RESOURCES 5-3 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Chesbro, Brownley, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, |
| |Dickinson, Monning, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Skinner | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| | | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Solorio |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Knight, Grove, Halderman |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the state to divert 75% of its solid waste
annually on or by 2020; requires a commercial waste generator to
arrange for recycling services; and requires a local government
to implement a commercial solid waste recycling program designed
to divert solid waste from businesses. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires, on or before January 1, 2020, and annually
thereafter, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
(Department) to ensure that 75% of solid waste generated is
source reduced, recycled, or composted.
2)Requires a commercial waste generator to arrange for recycling
services to the extent that the services are offered and
reasonably available from a local service provider. Defines
"commercial waste recycler" as the owner or operator of a
business that contracts for solid waste services and generates
more than four cubic yards of solid waste per week or is a
multifamily residential dwelling of five units or more.
3)Requires a local government to implement a commercial solid
waste recycling program designed to divert solid waste from
businesses.
EXISTING LAW :
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1)Requires local governments to divert 50% of solid waste
disposed by their jurisdictions through source reduction,
recycling, and composting.
2)Requires a local government to have a source reduction and
recycling plan that places primary emphasis on implementation
of all feasible source reduction, recycling, and composting
programs while identifying the amount of landfill and
transformation capacity that will be needed for solid waste
that cannot be reduced at the source, recycled, or composted.
3)Requires a local government to have a nondisposal facility
plan that includes all solid waste facilities and solid waste
facility expansions that will help the local government reach
its waste diversion mandate.
4)Requires, as of 1994, a local government to have ordinances
relating to adequate areas for collection and loading of
recyclable materials at commercial, industrial, and
multifamily development projects. Prohibits, as of 2005, a
local government from issuing a building permit to a
development project unless the development project provides
adequate space for collecting and loading recyclable
materials.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, unknown additional annual costs to the Department,
possibly in the hundred thousands of dollars, depending upon how
the Department decides to ensure waste diversion of 75%, as it
is directed to do by the bill. (Integrated Waste Management
Account)
COMMENTS : California is a national leader in diverting waste
from landfills by currently diverting 58% of all waste, which is
well above the state's 50% mandate. The state has achieved this
goal in part by increasing recycling opportunities through the
Integrated Waste Management Act. Despite the state's high
diversion rate, Californians still dispose more waste than the
national average. There are measures that can be taken, such as
mandatory commercial and multifamily residential recycling, that
will decrease the state's solid waste disposal and increase its
diversion rate. Additionally, a new waste diversion goal of 75%
will help facilitate more source reduction, recycling, and
composting in the state.
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According to the Department, the commercial sector generates
over 60% of waste disposed. As for multifamily dwellings, they
generate more than 8% of the disposed waste stream in
California. According to the sponsor, there are approximately
7.1 million Californians living in approximately 2.4 million
multifamily dwellings. Most of these residents are renters, but
fewer than 40% of them have access to recycling services where
they live. While a homeowner can choose to recycle at home, a
renter who wants to recycle at his/her residence is not able to
when the landlord does not provide the opportunity to do so.
Additionally, a 2001 report prepared by the California
Integrated Waste Management Board, "Recycling in Multifamily
Dwellings," concluded that much of the cost associated with
providing recycling services at multifamily dwellings is offset
by reduced disposal fees.
Overall, recycling provides tremendous benefits to the state.
Not only does it conserve natural resources, energy, and water,
it also creates jobs and builds California's economy and reduces
greenhouse gas emissions. According to Californians Against
Waste, the recycling industry accounts for more than 85,000 jobs
and generates nearly $4 billion annually in wages and produces
$10 billion worth of goods and services annually. A June 2010
cost study on commercial recycling published by the Department
concluded that a mandatory commercial recycling program in the
state could generate between 938 and 1,396 new full-time
equivalent jobs in recycling collection, support, supervisory,
and management.
According to the Department, additional recovery of recyclable
materials will directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycled materials can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from
multiple phases of product production including extraction of
raw materials, preprocessing, and manufacturing. Increased
recycling also reduces methane emissions at landfills resulting
from the decomposition of organic materials.
Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092 FN:
0001072
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