BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 2530 (Gordon) - Recycling: beverage containers
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| |
| |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Version: June 15, 2016 |Policy Vote: E.Q. 5 - 2 |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Urgency: No |Mandate: Yes |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| | |
|Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Narisha Bonakdar |
| | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill
Summary:1) AB 2530 requires manufacturers of beverages sold in plastic
beverage containers subject to the California Redemption Value
(CRV) to report the amount of virgin plastic and postconsumer
recycled plastic used to the California Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) annually.
Fiscal
Impact:
One-time costs of approximately $71,000 (California Beverage
Container Recycling Fund) for CalRecycle to develop the
reporting infrastructure.
Minor ongoing costs.
Background:
Statutes requiring recycled content. California has several
programs and statutes that require minimum levels of recycled
content or "postconsumer" material in various products or
AB 2530 (Gordon) Page 1 of
?
purchases. Postconsumer material is generally defined as
products that were bought, used, and recycled by consumers. For
example, a plastic bottle that has been purchased, recycled, and
used to make another product would be considered postconsumer
material.
Rigid plastic packaging container law. California's Rigid
Plastic Packaging Container (RPPC) law was enacted in 1991 as
part of an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste disposed
in California landfills and to increase the use of recycled
postconsumer plastic. The law mandates that rigid plastic
packaging containers sold in the state contain a minimum of 25%
postconsumer recycled material. Some products are exempt from
compliance, including food, drugs, baby formula, and other
materials.
Glass beverage container recycled content. California state law
requires in-state glass manufacturers to use a minimum of 35%
postfilled glass (glass that had previously been filled with a
beverage or food) in the manufacturing of their glass food,
drink, or beverage containers, measured in the aggregate on an
annual basis, and a minimum of 25% postfilled glass if the
manufacturers use at least half mixed-color cullet.
Glass manufacturers are required to report each month to
CalRecycle on the total tons of new glass food, drink, and
beverage containers made in California and the tons of
California postfilled glass used in the manufacturing of those
new containers.
There is no similar statewide requirement for plastic beverage
containers.
State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign. Current state law
establishes the State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign (SABRC),
which requires state agencies and the Legislature to purchase
recycled-content products and track those purchases. The SABRC
requires minimum postconsumer material content for 11 specified
product categories, including a minimum level of 10%
postconsumer material for plastic products. All state agencies
are mandated to require all businesses to certify in writing the
percentage of postconsumer material in the products, materials,
goods, or supplies offered or sold to the state.
AB 2530 (Gordon) Page 2 of
?
Plastic recycling in California. California has around 10
reclaimers accepting plastic for washing and producing
recycled flake or pellets and more than 30 manufacturers that
use recycled plastic to manufacture new products. While there
has been significant growth in the use of recycled plastic in
California, the vast majority of recycled plastic is sent
overseas.
In 2014, Californians returned approximately 17.7 billion
beverage containers (one million tons). Plastic containers
accounted for 220,000 tons. Roughly half of these plastic
containers are at least partially processed in California.
Proposed Law:
This bill:
1)Beginning on March 1, 2018, requires manufacturers of plastic
beverage containers subject to the CRV to annually report to
CalRecycle the amount of virgin plastic and postconsumer
recycled plastic used.
2)Requires manufacturers to submit the above information to
CalRecycle under penalty of perjury.
3)Specifies that the requirements above do not apply to a
refillable plastic beverage container.
4)Requires CalRecycle to post the information reported on its
website.
Staff
Comments:1) Purpose of Bill. According to the author, "Thirty years ago,
the Legislature passed and the Governor signed the California
Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act, better
AB 2530 (Gordon) Page 3 of
?
known as the Bottle Bill. This Act established California's
systems for the recycling of beverage containers. In the
decades since the Bottle Bill was enacted, Californians have
embraced recycling beverage containers and roughly 82% are
returned for recycling. Given the public's embrace of
recycling, consumers should be able to determine whether
beverage companies are using recycled plastic in the beverages
they purchase."
This bill constitutes a state mandate. However, under the
California Constitution, costs associated legislation defining a
new crime or changing an existing definition of a crime are not
reimbursable.
-- END --