Dec 23 - Governor Brown Appoints CAW’s Scott Smithline to CalRecycle
Governor Jerry Brown has appointed CAW’s Scott Smithline to serve as the Assistant Director at California Department of Resource Recovery and Recycling (CalRecycle).
For the last eight years Scott has been the Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Californians Against Waste, serving as the organization’s lead advocate before the California Integrated Waste Management Board, California Air Resources Board, the 
Attorney General’s Office, and CalRecycle.
"I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve Governor Brown and California. I believe that the recycling policies and programs under CalRecycle’s authority have the potential to conserve resources and protect the environment while creating jobs and economic opportunity," said Smithline. "Caroll Mortensen and I have worked together on a number of policies. I’m looking forward to working with her, the staff at CalRecycle, and stakeholders in meeting the new 75% recycling goal signed by the Governor this year."
Scott has emerged as one of the state’s leading experts in recycling and waste management policy. His expertise on the role of recycling and climate change, organics management, bioplastics and conversion technology are nationally recognized.
"Scott has been a tremendous asset to CAW and recycling. His policy expertise has already shaped many of the recycling policies and programs in California. It was no surprise that Governor Brown tapped Scott to help develop and guide California recycling in this critical era," said CAW Executive Director, Mark Murray.
As the Assistant Director for Policy Development at CalRecycle, Scott will work closely with CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen in developing policies and programs to assist California businesses, institutions and local governments in meeting the nation’s most ambitious waste reduction and recycling policy—75% by 2020.
"While it’s going to be a loss for the staff and I at CAW to no longer be able to just shout across the office and get Scott’s advice and perspective, his new office is just across the street," said Murray. "Scott and Caroll have already worked together on a number of issues, and I know they are going to make a great team."
Scott is an environmental attorney with over 15 years of experience in environmental work, including environmental analysis, policy development, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.
Scott has been a key advocate in developing policies to increase recycling in California. Recent work includes developing an Environmental Advertising Campaign to reduce bioplastic contamination in the plastics recycling stream by targeting mislabeled plastic products, and working to ensure that minimum content laws are properly interpreted and enforced.
In addition to his work at CAW, Scott has also consulted for private sector partners on various issues including federal climate policy, extended producer responsibility and recycling, developing anaerobic digestion projects, and bioplastics issues.
In 2008, Smithline traveled with the City of Los Angeles as an environmental representative and assessed waste to energy technologies around the world. He has an expert understanding of the systemic issues surrounding solid waste conversion technologies, including the various environment and economic considerations.