BILL NUMBER: ACR 128	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Emmerson

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2010

   Relative to school recycling.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 128, as introduced, Emmerson. School districts: recycling
programs.
   This measure would encourage school districts to engage in
recycling programs and to promote awareness of available state
resources that schools may utilize to establish and maintain
recycling programs.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, Americans go through 25,000,000,000 plastic bottles every
year. Plastic bottles can take up to 1,000 years before they begin
to decompose in a landfill. It can take up to 500 years for an
aluminum can to decompose in a landfill. Each of us uses
approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood
products per year. Last year Californians bought 21,900,000,000
carbonated and noncarbonated drinks. Even though many Californians
are recycling, 7,200,000,000 of those containers were not recycled.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to burn a 100-watt
light bulb for nearly four hours or run a television for three hours;
and
   WHEREAS, The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB)
is required to provide assistance to school districts in establishing
and implementing source reduction and recycling programs. This
assistance includes a survey of school districts on their level of
program implementation, development of a model waste reduction
program, training and ongoing technical and informational assistance,
and information on programs for other states and institutions; and
   WHEREAS, School districts are encouraged to establish and maintain
a paper recycling program in all classrooms, administrative offices,
and other areas owned or leased by the school district and are also
encouraged to purchase recycled paper, paper with the highest
percentage of postconsumer waste, to revise procurement
specifications to eliminate discrimination against recycled paper,
and to give preference to the purchase of recycled paper; and
   WHEREAS, California school districts dispose of large amounts of
waste, approximately 763,817 tons per year. This waste represents a
significant loss of natural resources and school district funds, as
well as a potential threat to the students' and staffs' health and
the environment. To be responsible stewards of environmental quality,
school districts should review processes and operations, and even
curriculum choices. They should evaluate the economic, educational,
and environmental benefits of implementing an effective waste
reduction program; and
   WHEREAS, Incorporating waste reduction as part of the school
district's overall way of doing business can provide a number of
important benefits, including reduced disposal costs, improved worker
safety, reduced long-term liability, increased efficiency of school
operations, and decreased associated purchasing costs. School
district waste reduction programs also foster student achievement by
transforming the school environment into a laboratory for learning
and providing numerous opportunities for investigation through
environmentally based education; and
   WHEREAS, The California Integrated Waste Management Act requires
that all California cities and counties reduce solid waste generation
by 50 percent. School districts can play a critical role in a city's
or county's ability to realize this goal. As a result, a school
district's host city or county is a natural partner in the evaluation
of the existing waste management infrastructure and the development
of a comprehensive districtwide waste reduction program. The CIWMB
Internet Web site provides information, tools, and other resources to
support these partnerships and to facilitate the implementation of
successful school district waste reduction programs; and
   WHEREAS, Large or small, a beverage container recycling program
can help a school earn money, help the environment, and cut waste
hauling costs simultaneously. The beverage containers that we recycle
are kept out of the landfills and can be made into new products.
Establishing and operating a beverage container recycling program
requires the cooperation and participation of many different people.
To facilitate this, schools are encouraged to establish a committee
of representatives that will be involved in the program and who will
determine the goals and type of program that will be used; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature encourages school districts
to engage in recycling programs and to promote awareness of available
state resources that schools may utilize to establish and maintain
recycling programs; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.