BILL ANALYSIS
AB 925
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 925 (Saldana)
As Introduced February 26, 2009
Majority vote
NATURAL RESOURCES 6-3
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|Ayes:|Skinner, Brownley, | | |
| |Chesbro, | | |
| |De Leon, Hill, Huffman | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Gilmore, Knight, Logue | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Beginning January 1, 2012, prohibits a retailer from
selling a single-use beverage container with a cap unless the
cap is affixed to, or part of, the container, and the cap is
made from recyclable material.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Pursuant to the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989,
requires every rigid plastic packaging container to be made
from 25% recycled content or have a recycling rate of at least
45%.
2)Pursuant to the California Beverage Container Recycling and
Litter Reduction Act:
a) Requires every beverage container, as defined, sold or
offered for sale in this state to have a minimum refund
value;
b) Requires a distributor to pay a redemption payment for
every beverage container sold or offered for sale in the
state to the Department of Conservation; and,
c) Defines "beverage" to include, among other things, beer
and other malt beverages, wine and distilled spirit
coolers, carbonated mineral and soda waters, noncarbonated
fruit drinks, and vegetable juices, in liquid form that are
AB 925
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intended for human consumption. Excludes from the
definition of "beverage" vegetable drinks in beverage
containers of more than 16 ounces, milk, medical food, and
any product sold in a container that is not an aluminum
beverage container, a glass container, a plastic beverage
container, or a bimetal container.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : Plastic bottle caps are a significant contributor to
litter and marine debris. According to the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, marine debris has become a
serious problem along shorelines, coastal waters, estuaries, and
oceans throughout the world. It is estimated that 60-80% of all
marine debris, and 90% of floating debris, is plastic. Marine
debris can be life threatening to marine organisms and can wreak
havoc on coastal communities and the fishing industry. Recent
studies by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and the
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project have found
that the average mass of plastics in the seawater off the coast
of Long Beach is two and a half times greater than the average
mass of plankton. After storms with excessive runoff, the mass
of plastics is even greater. A similar study over seawater
1,000 miles west of San Francisco in the Pacific Gyre found the
mass of plastics was six times the mass of plankton in drifts
where marine animals congregate for feeding. Large seabirds
such as Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses and Northern Fulmars
frequently consume larger pieces of marine debris, including
bottle caps. Adults have also been known to feed these items
to their young.
According to the Ocean Protection Council, small plastic items,
such as bottle caps, are some of the most abundant items
polluting California beaches. In 2005, 61,117 bottle caps were
collected during California's Coastal Cleanup Day. The
California Coastal Commission report, Eliminating Land-based
Discharges of Marine Debris in California: A Plan of Action
from The Plastic Debris Project, identifies bottle caps and lids
as the third most common type of debris in 2004. The report
recommends actions to address marine debris from land-based
discharges. Action 61 includes a recommendation to "redesign
beverage containers to eliminate pieces that can become
segregated from the beverage container, including lids, caps,
straws, and cup holders."
AB 925
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According to the author, this bill requires that no single-use
beverage container be sold or offered for sale unless the cap is
attached to the container to reduce the number of bottle caps
that are littered and end up as marine debris. This bill also
requires that the cap be made from recyclable material so that
both the cap and container can be recycled.
Analysis Prepared by : Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092
FN: 0000374