AB 2579, as introduced, Low. California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.
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 nonsubstantive changes to the Legislature’s findings and declarations relating to the act.
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
P2 1and other shopping center locations, independent and industry
2operated recycling centers, curbside programs, and other recycling
3systems thatbegin delete assureend deletebegin insert
ensureend insert all consumers, in every region of the
4state, the opportunity to return beverage containers conveniently,
5efficiently, and economically.
6(b) California grocery, beer, soft drink, container manufacturing,
7labor, agricultural, consumer, environmental, government, citizen,
8recreational, taxpayer, and recycling groups have joined together
9in calling for an innovative program to generate large-scale
10redemption and recycling of beverage containers.
11(c) This division establishes a beverage container recycling goal
12of 80 percent.
13(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that every
14container type proves its own recyclability.
15(e) It is the intent of the Legislature to make redemption and
16recycling convenient
to consumers, and the Legislature hereby
17urges cities and counties, when exercising their zoning authority,
18to act favorably on the siting of multimaterial recycling centers,
19reverse vending machines, mobile recycling units, or other types
20of recycling opportunities, as necessary for consumer convenience,
21and the overall success of litter abatement and beverage container
22recycling in the state.
23(f) The purpose of this division is to create and maintain a
24marketplace where it is profitable to establish sufficient recycling
25centers and locations to provide consumers with convenient
26recycling opportunities through the establishment of minimum
27refund values and processing fees and, through the proper
28application of these elements, to enhance the profitability of
29recycling centers, recycling locations, and other beverage container
30recycling programs.
31(g) The responsibility to provide
convenient, efficient, and
32economical redemption opportunities rests jointly with
33manufacturers, distributors, dealers, recyclers, processors, and the
34begin insert Division of Recycling in theend insert Department ofbegin delete Conservation.end delete
35begin insert Resources Recycling and Recovery.end insert
36(h) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this division,
37that all empty beverage containers redeemed shall be recycled,
38and that the responsibilities and regulations of the department shall
39be determined and implemented in a manner that favors the
40recycling of redeemed containers, as opposed to their disposal.
P3 1(i) begin deleteNothing in this end deletebegin insertThis end insertdivision shallbegin insert notend insert be interpreted
as
2affecting the current business practices of scrap dealers or recycling
3centers, except that, to the extent they function as a recycling center
4or processor, they shall do so in accordance with this division.
5(j) The program established by this division will contribute
6significantly to the reduction of the beverage container component
7of litter in this state.
O
99