This division shall be known and may be cited as the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.
Chapter 1Findings
Section § 14500
This law is called the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act. It's about managing beverage container recycling and reducing litter.
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Section § 14501
This law emphasizes the importance of recycling beverage containers in California by creating a system that makes it easy for consumers to recycle. It finds that financial incentives and accessible return systems help in effective recycling. The law aims for an 80% recycling goal for beverage containers and insists every container type should be recyclable. By encouraging local governments to support recycling sites, the law aims to reduce litter and promote environmental consciousness.
Manufacturers, distributors, dealers, recyclers, and government entities share the responsibility of providing convenient recycling options. The regulation also ensures that redeemed containers are recycled rather than disposed of. Finally, the current business practices of recycling centers remain unaffected, but they must comply with the law when functioning in recycling roles.
The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(a)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(a) Experience in this state and others demonstrates that financial incentives and convenient return systems ensure the efficient and large-scale recycling of beverage containers. Accordingly, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage increased, and more convenient, beverage container redemption opportunities for all consumers. These redemption opportunities shall consist of dealer and other shopping center locations, independent and industry operated recycling centers, curbside programs, and other recycling systems that assure all consumers, in every region of the state, the opportunity to return beverage containers conveniently, efficiently, and economically.
(b)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(b) California grocery, beer, soft drink, container manufacturing, labor, agricultural, consumer, environmental, government, citizen, recreational, taxpayer, and recycling groups have joined together in calling for an innovative program to generate large-scale redemption and recycling of beverage containers.
(c)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(c) This division establishes a beverage container recycling goal of 80 percent.
(d)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that every container type proves its own recyclability.
(e)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(e) It is the intent of the Legislature to make redemption and recycling convenient to consumers, and the Legislature hereby urges cities and counties, when exercising their zoning authority, to act favorably on the siting of multimaterial recycling centers, reverse vending machines, mobile recycling units, or other types of recycling opportunities, as necessary for consumer convenience, and the overall success of litter abatement and beverage container recycling in the state.
(f)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(f) The purpose of this division is to create and maintain a marketplace where it is profitable to establish sufficient recycling centers and locations to provide consumers with convenient recycling opportunities through the establishment of minimum refund values and processing fees and, through the proper application of these elements, to enhance the profitability of recycling centers, recycling locations, and other beverage container recycling programs.
(g)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(g) The responsibility to provide convenient, efficient, and economical redemption opportunities rests jointly with manufacturers, distributors, dealers, recyclers, processors, and the Department of Conservation.
(h)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(h) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this division, that all empty beverage containers redeemed shall be recycled, and that the responsibilities and regulations of the department shall be determined and implemented in a manner that favors the recycling of redeemed containers, as opposed to their disposal.
(i)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(i) Nothing in this division shall be interpreted as affecting the current business practices of scrap dealers or recycling centers, except that, to the extent they function as a recycling center or processor, they shall do so in accordance with this division.
(j)CA Public Resources Code § 14501(j) The program established by this division will contribute significantly to the reduction of the beverage container component of litter in this state.
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Section § 14501.5
This law states that the rules for handling beverage containers do not apply to those sold and used on trains, ships, or airplanes by companies operating under specific transportation certificates.
This division does not apply to any beverage container which is sold and delivered to a railroad, sleeping car, or steamship company, or common carrier operating vessels, as defined in Section 238 of the Public Utilities Code, operating under a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or an air common carrier, for use and consumption on trains, vessels, or airplanes.
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