Recycling Victories in California Legislature Highlight Session Wrap Up--Bills on the Governor's Desk

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Local Action to Get Plastics Out of Ocean Continue

By Mark Murray
Executive Director
Californians Against Waste

The first year of the 2007-08 legislative session wrapped up in the early morning hours of September 12, and we can be very proud of the progress we have made in advancing waste reduction and recycling policy. Several priority bills made it out of both houses of the legislature and are now pending before Governor Schwarzenegger. Over the next 30 days our priority will be organizing support for all of the waste prevention and recycling legislation awaiting a Governor's signature, but we'll need your help.

Priority bills that passed the legislature and pending at the Governor's desk include:

AB 48 (Saldana) Toxic Electronics Phase Out
AB 548 (Levine) Multi-family Recycling
AB 1109 (Huffman) Lighting Efficiency and Toxics Reduction Act
SB 966 (Simitian) Pharmaceutical Takeback and Disposal Program
SB 1021 (Padilla) Multi-family Recycling Funding

Additionally, several key proposals made their way through most of the legislative process only to be held for consideration in January. They include: SB 1020 (Padilla), which would have established a 75% waste reduction and recycling standard for California; AB 1195 (Torrico), which would have increased incentives and requirements for re-refined motor oil; and a joint proposal by Senator Perata and Assembly Member Hancock to increase plastic recycling and recycling funding through the beverage container recycling program.

Other CAW priority legislation that we will continue to pursue next year include AB 904 (Feuer), pending before the Assembly Floor, which will reduce and recycle plastic packaging waste and marine debris by requiring the use of recyclable fastfood takeout packaging. Additionally, AB 1535 (Huffman), also pending on the Assembly floor, would increase E-Waste recycling by expanding California's successful E-Waste Recycling Law.

CAW Continues to Support Local Measures to Get Plastics out of our Oceans