BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2579
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Date of Hearing: May 11, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2579 (Low) - As Amended April 13, 2016
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|Policy |Natural Resources |Vote:|9 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires CalRecycle to complete a study to establish
baseline data relating to food service packaging by January 1,
2018. This bill requires the study to include:
1)The amount of food service packaging, by material type, used
in California and the disposition of the products, including
the percentages recycled, composted, and disposed and an
estimate of the percentage littered.
2)The facilities located in the state that accept food service
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packaging for recycling or composting, the cities they serve,
and the infrastructure needed to increase the recycling rate.
3)The current and potential markets for recycled and composted
food service packaging materials.
4)Barriers to increased recycling and composting of food service
packaging and steps that may be taken to remove those
barriers.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Increased one-time contracting costs of approximately $350,000
for CalRecyle to acquire the data necessary to prepare the
report (GF or special fund).
2)Increased one-time costs of approximately $180,000 over a
two-year period for CalRecyle to analyze the data and prepare
the report (GF or special fund).
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill will help capture
the magnitude of food service packaging waste, and provide
baseline data to better create the infrastructure for proper
end-of-use waste management.
2)Background. In 2011, California established a 75% recycling
goal statewide by 2020. In order to achieve the goal,
CalRecycle identified six areas of focus: a) Moving organics
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out of the landfill; b) Continuing reform of the Beverage
Container Recycling Program; c) Expanding recycling and
manufacturing infrastructure; d) Exploring new models for
state and local; e) Promoting a state procurement policy for
postconsumer recycled content products; and f) Promoting
extended producer responsibility.
Based on projected waste disposal, an additional 22 million
tons of source reduction, recycling, and composting must occur
in order to meet the 75% goal. CalRecycle staff estimates
that packaging (generally, not limited to food service)
comprises about 9.5 million tons, or about 25% of California's
disposed waste stream.
3)Marine Debris. Marine debris is a significant problem along
shorelines and in coastal waters, estuaries, and oceans
throughout the world. Marine debris can be life threatening
to marine organisms and can adversely affect coastal
communities and the fishing industry. In general, there are
two types of marine debris that pollute our ocean and
coastline in California. The first is from ocean sources, and
includes waste discharged by ships, recreational boaters and
fishermen, and offshore oil and gas exploration and production
facilities. The second, and by far more environmentally
destructive, type of marine debris is from land. This type of
debris includes stormwater runoff, solid waste, floating
structures, and poorly maintained garbage bins and it is
transmitted to the marine environment by waterways.
Land-based litter constitutes nearly 80% of the marine debris
found on our beaches and in our oceans, and 90% of it is
plastic.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
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319-2081