SB 791, as introduced, Wyland. Beverage containers: recycling.
Under existing law, the Division of Recycling within the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery administers the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.
This bill would make a conforming change to the act’s statement of legislative intent with regard to that authority.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 14501 of the Public Resources Code is
2amended to read:
The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
4(a) Experience in this state and others demonstrates that financial
5incentives and convenient return systems ensure the efficient and
6large-scale recycling of beverage containers. Accordingly, it is the
7intent of the Legislature to encourage increased, and more
8convenient, beverage container redemption opportunities for all
9consumers. These redemption opportunities shall consist of dealer
10and other shopping center locations, independent and industry
11operated recycling centers, curbside programs, and other recycling
12systems that assure all consumers, in every region of the state, the
P2 1opportunity to return beverage containers conveniently, efficiently,
2and economically.
3(b) California grocery, beer, soft drink, container manufacturing,
4labor, agricultural, consumer, environmental, government, citizen,
5recreational, taxpayer, and recycling groups have joined together
6in calling for an innovative program to generate large-scale
7redemption and recycling of beverage containers.
8(c) This division establishes a beverage container recycling goal
9of 80 percent.
10(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that every
11container type proves its own recyclability.
12(e) It is the intent of the Legislature to make redemption and
13recycling convenient to consumers, and the Legislature hereby
14urges cities and counties, when exercising their zoning authority,
15to act favorably on the siting of multimaterial recycling centers,
16reverse
vending machines, mobile recycling units, or other types
17of recycling opportunities, as necessary for consumer convenience,
18and the overall success of litter abatement and beverage container
19recycling in the state.
20(f) The purpose of this division is to create and maintain a
21marketplace where it is profitable to establish sufficient recycling
22centers and locations to provide consumers with convenient
23recycling opportunities through the establishment of minimum
24refund values and processing fees and, through the proper
25application of these elements, to enhance the profitability of
26recycling centers, recycling locations, and other beverage container
27recycling programs.
28(g) The responsibility to provide convenient, efficient, and
29economical redemption opportunities rests jointly with
30manufacturers, distributors, dealers, recyclers, processors, and the
31begin insert
Division of Recycling within theend insert Department ofbegin delete Conservationend delete
32begin insert
Resources Recycling and Recoveryend insert.
33(h) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this division,
34that all empty beverage containers redeemed shall be recycled,
35and that the responsibilities and regulations of the department shall
36be determined and implemented in a manner that favors the
37recycling of redeemed containers, as opposed to their disposal.
38(i) Nothing in this division shall be interpreted as affecting the
39current business practices of scrap dealers or recycling centers,
P3 1except that, to the extent they function as a recycling center or
2processor, they shall do so in accordance with this division.
3(j) The program established by this division will contribute
4significantly to the reduction of the beverage container component
5of litter in this
state.
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