California Governor Signs Emergency Recycling Bill

Help is on the way for areas in the state of California that no longer have California Redemption Value (CRV) recycling centers. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed AB 54 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which allocates $5 million to implement a mobile recycling pilot program administered by California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). The urgency measure went into immediate effect.

“AB 54 provides short-term relief to the thousands of Californians who need their container deposits refunded. Now the hard work begins. I will spend the next few months working on a more comprehensive solution that can start moving through the legislative process when we reconvene in January,” said Ting in a statement. “We can’t put off this reform any longer now that recycling programs are in a crisis.”

The bill comes after rePlanet shuttered its remaining 284 California recycling centers in August. AB 54 aims to relieve the long lines at remaining redemption sites and fill the void in areas that no longer have any. rePlanet was once California’s largest recycling company, operating about 20 percent of the redemption centers in the state. But a significant decrease in the scrap value of aluminum and recycled plastics has hampered its ability to stay open—even after the firm closed 191 centers in 2016 to cut costs. Exacerbating this problem are international market conditions, as countries around the world, most notably China, have imposed stricter standards on the types of waste materials they will purchase.

Under the mobile pilot program, local governments, nonprofits and others can apply for one of five grants to expand recycling opportunities in areas severely impacted by the rePlanet closures. At least one pilot location must be in a rural area, and the roving redemption centers must be open at least eight hours during the weekend when demand for services is high. AB 54 also temporarily suspends, through March 2020, the fines assessed on grocers required to take back beverage containers in-store when there are no recycling centers nearby, as they are not prepared to assume the responsibility of providing redemption services.

In addition to AB 54, the 2019-20 state budget previously included another $5 million to help more than 400 low-volume recycling centers stay open.

“AB 54 provides more flexibility and $5 million in funding for the CRV redemption pilot program for communities to increase convenient CRV redemption options for local consumers,” says Lance Klug, public information officer for CalRecycle. “The legislation also provides temporary regulatory relief for beverage dealers and makes available an additional $5 million in funding to help support California’s privately owned recycling centers.”

CalRecycle adds it is working “with urgency” to develop criteria and a tentative timeline for the CRV redemption pilot grant program that was authorized by AB 54.

“AB 54 is an important stopgap measure to address the recent closures of recycling centers throughout the state,” Gov. Newsom wrote upon signing the bill. “The California Beverage Container Recycling Program has long faced structural challenges and is in need of reform. I look forward to working with the legislature in the coming year on a comprehensive solution for this program as part of the ongoing discussion about the future of how we manufacture, reduce, reuse, recycle and compost materials in California.”