CA Governor Vetoes E-Waste, Bottle Bills

Patricia-Anne Tom

Sacramento, Calif. -- California Governor Gray Davis has vetoed bills SB 1523 and SB 1619, which proposed creating a recycling infrastructure for electronic waste. He also has vetoed SB 441, which would have changed the processing fee and recycling funding provisions of the Beverage Container Recycling Act and aimed to increase plastic and glass beverage container recycling.

"I am willing to sign legislation that challenges industry to assume greater responsibility for the recycling and disposal of electronic waste," Davis said in a prepared statement. "However, I am concerned that this program is not the most efficient or cost effective approach ... building a state bureaucracy to address this problem is not the best solution for managing electronic waste."

Davis did say he believes the Golden State should enact a law next year that addresses producer responsibility and the export problems associated with e-waste.