Waste Reduction and Recycling Bills Pass Floor Votes in California Legislature

By Mark Murray
Executive Director
Californians Against Waste

Bottle Bill Expansion Passed out of the Senate

CAW-sponsored SB 1625 (Corbett) cleared a big hurdle yesterday, making it off the Senate floor with a 21 to 18 vote. This bill aims to expand California's successful container recycling program to include all plastic bottles which will significantly reduce plastic litter pollution. This measure will result in the recycling of more than 3 billion additional plastic bottles, annually reducing littered and landfilled plastic waste by 130,000 tons and providing local governments with an additional $100 million dollars. The expansion of California's Container Recycling Law was the #1 recommendation of the California Ocean Protection Council's recommendations on marine debris.

Shopping Bag Reduction Bill Advances to Senate

CAW sponsored AB 2058 (Levine), which would institute the toughest-in-the-nation litter abatement law for carryout bags, passed out of the Assembly May 28 with a 44-33 vote. This bill would require bag diversion benchmarks be met or would require retailers charge a per-bag fee. AB 2058 would also give local governments the option to charge fees on plastic bags immediately. AB 2058 will next be heard in a Senate policy committee.

Toxic Packaging Phase-Out Bill Moves out of Assembly

CAW-Sponsored AB 2505 (Brownley) passed out of the Assembly May 28 and now heads to the Senate. The bill will help prevent human and environmental exposure to toxins as well as encourage the recycling of consumer packaging by phasing out the use of toxic, non-recyclable PVC packaging. Previously, this bill passed out of Assembly Appropriations May 22 and passed out of the Asm. ESTM committee on April 15. AB 2505 is now headed to the State Senate.

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