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.

ARB Releases Draft Landfill GHG Regs

The Air Resources Board released draft regulations as part of its Landfill Gas Early Action Measure, and, at first glance, these requirements appear to signal a strong statewide shift towards landfill gas collection practices that are protective of public health, safety, and the environment. Since the passage of AB 32, CAW had strongly advocated for rigorous landfills gas regulations and, last year, the ARB identified landfills as an industry that would be well suited for early regulatory action. These draft regulations are the result of a diligent effort by the ARB staff to identify opportunities to minimize methane emissions from landfills.

As far as CAW is aware, these are the first actual control measures to be drafted by the Air Resources Board as part of AB 32 implementation, and this underscores the importance of achieving maximal emission reductions through these regulations.

Subscribe to CAW's Climate Change Blog to keep up to date on the state's climate efforts.

Recycling News

Apr 1 - New York Mayor Signs E-waste Bill
Mar 28 – San Joaquin Compost Regs and Response to LA County ADC Claims
Mar 20 - Sonoma and Mendocino Counties Want to Enact Plastic Bag Ordinances
Mar 18 - Post Office Starts Free E-waste Mail Back Recycling Program

The Recycling Advocate is published at least twice monthly during the legislative session by the environmental group Californians Against Waste.

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The Recycling Advocate