Bottle Bill Expansion Advances

CAW sponsored legislation that aims to update the state's Bottle and Can Recycling Law by expanding the program to include all plastic bottles among other measures, passed out of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee 5-2. SB 1625 (Corbett) now heads to the Appropriations Committee.

Toughest Plastic Bag Reduction Measure in Nation Moves Out of Committee

CAW sponsored AB 2058 (Levine) passed out of Assembly Natural Resources committee April 14 with a 5-3 vote. The bill will require retailers to meet a tough plastic bag diversion mandate--as high as 70%--if they wish to continue freely distributing plastic bags. If the benchmark is not met, retailers will only be able to hand out bags if they charge a fee of not less than 15 cents. A similar approach has reduced plastic bag consumption in Ireland by over 90%.

Other CAW Bills Pass Out of Committees

CAW sponsored AB 2505 (Brownley) passed out of Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee April 15. The bill proposes to phase out the use of PVC resin in certain consumer packaging. Consumer packaging represents the largest segment of PVC in the solid waste stream, as it is virtually non-recyclable. PVC consumer packaging also presents a human health threat as it can contain high levels of phthalates and heavy metals, and is a costly and potent contaminant in the recycling stream of other, non-toxic alternative plastics.

AB 2640 (Huffman) passed out of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee April 14 with a 5-3 vote. The bill will assist in reaching the CIWMB's goal to divert 50% of organics from landfills by 2020 by creating a program to support and handle this organic waste. AB 2640 will next be heard in the Appropriations Committee.

Bottle Bill Expansion Needs Your Support!

CAW needs your support for SB 1625 (Corbett), which is going to be heard in its first policy committee April 14. SB 1625 aims to update California's Bottle and Can Recycling Law to tackle the problem of plastic bottle marine debris pollution. New amendments expand the scope of the Bottle Bill to include all plastic bottles, as called for by the California Ocean Protection Council. This expansion will double the number of plastic containers currently under the program; quadruple current plastic bottle recycling levels; and provide more than $100 million annually in new recycling revenue for curbside programs. Sending in a support letter is easy! Click on the following links for a sample group letter and a sample individual letter.

CAW Bills To Be Heard in Committee Soon, Need Support

Several bills high on CAW's agenda will be heard in the next two weeks in their first policy committees. Please consider your support of the following bills.

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee will hear AB 2640 (Huffman) Compostable Organics Management and AB 2058 (Levine) Plastic Bag Reductions Benchmarks on April 14. AB 2071 (Karnette), which adds enforcement language to existing statute requiring truthful environmental marketing claims on plastic bags, will be heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on April 7.

AB 2505 (Brownley), which phases out the use of toxic, nonrecyclable PVC packaging, will be heard in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee on April 15. Click here for a sample group letter and a sample individual letter.

The 2008 Legislative Session is upon us. Once again, it's another ambitious year in the waste reduction and recycling world with new bills covering a spectrum of issues from plastic bag reduction, e-waste and Legislation to promoting the best use of organic materials in California. In addition, there are two-year bills regarding take out food packaging and waste reduction that CAW will continue to be a part of in this new session.

Below is a short summary and links to key bills by program area that are new for this session:

Reducing Human & Environmental Exposure to Toxics by Reducing and Recycling Hazardous Products & Materials

AB 218 (Saldaña) CAW sponsored bill phases out the use of certain toxic materials in most consumer electronics.

AB 2347 (Ruskin) Would allow Californians to return their waste thermostats to any location that sells new thermostats. Companies that make new thermostats for sale in the state would pick up most of the costs for the recycling program.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions thru Source Reduction and Recycling

AB 822 (Levine) CAW sponsored bill requires owners of multifamily buildings to provide appropriate recycling in their dwellings.

AB 2640 (Huffman) This bill is intended to promote the highest and best use of organic materials in California and will set up a "Compostable Organics Management Program" that will incentivize the development of environmentally superior alternatives to landfilling organic compostable materials. The bill would charge a fee of $1.40 per ton of green materials used for "beneficial reuse" in landfills, including use as daily cover, and this money will be used to promote activities that divert these materials from landfills. The bill would also phase out, by 2015, the practice of counting green materials used as landfill cover as being "diverted" from landfills.

Reducing Water Pollution and Marine Debris by Reducing and Recycling Plastic Litter and Waste

AB 2058 (Levine) CAW sponsored bill seeks to drastically reduce plastic bag litter by requiring diversion benchmarks for plastic bags; augments California's successful Plastic Bag Recycling Program (AB 2449-2006).

AB 2505 (Brownley) Proposes to phase out the use of PVC plastic in consumer packaging. PVC is a human and environmental toxin that contains Lead, Cadmium and phthalates and also emits deadly dioxins when combusted. PVC is a potent contaminant in the plastics recycling stream.

AB 3025 (Lieber) Proposes to phase out the use of foamed polystyrene packaging peanuts, a large source of urban plastic litter pollution. New bill.

Two-Year Bills that CAW Continues to Follow

SB 899 (Simitian) Would codify OPC recommendations that toxic chemicals be phased out from plastic packaging by 2015. This bill awaits an Assembly ESTM hearing.

AB 904 (Feuer) This two-year bill phases out the use of nonrecycled plastic takeout food packaging, which is a significant, dangerous and nonbiodegradable component of marine debris pollution, by requiring the use of recyclable or compostable food packaging. The bill awaits a hearing in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

ETAAC Support Recycling and Composting
An AB 32-created committee (the Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee, or ETAAC) released a detailed report with recommendations on technologies that can help California meet its greenhouse gas goals. Of the 55 recommendations outlined in the report, 5 dealt with reducing greenhouse gases through increased recycling and composting. CAW is very supportive of these recommendations and we are strongly encouraging the Air Resources Board to include these policies in its AB 32 implementation plan. Learn more about the state's Green House Gas efforts.

2007 Legislation Wrap-Up
The 2007 legislative session is officially behind us, with mixed results. What began as the most ambitious year for waste reduction and recycling policy since 1989, ended on a decidedly sour note, with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoing the two most significant waste prevention and recycling bills that made it to his desk.

Governor Vetoes Legislation to Require Multifamily Recycling Opportunities
CAW-sponsored AB 548 (Levine) would have required apartment owners to provide recycling services to their tenants. In his veto message, the Governor cites significant costs as a deterrent in the legislation.

The legislation would have expanded recycling opportunities to the more than 7 million Californians living in apartments and other multifamily dwellings that still lack a basic recycling opportunity where they live.

CAW worked closely with the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), recyclers, local governments and apartment owners in crafting the legislation. The only known opponent was the California Apartment Owners Association.

"Earlier this year the CIWMB identified expanded multifamily recycling as an important 'early action measure' to reduce GHG emissions, as well as increase recycling. AB 548 tracked that recommendation," said CAW Executive Director Mark Murray.

"If Governor Schwarzenegger is unwilling to take the relatively modest step of requiring recycling at apartments, I'm perplexed as to how the Governor will make serious progress toward the State's more ambitious GHG emission reduction goals."