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The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor, State of California
State Capitol, First Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: 916-445-4633

RE: SB 1021 (Padilla) Multi-family Recycling Grants – Support

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

We urge your signature on SB 1021 by Senator Alex Padilla, which would authorize the Department of Conservation to expend up to $15 million in surplus redemption funds to help offset the cost of providing beverage container recycling services at multifamily dwellings.

Despite California’s leadership in recycling and waste reduction, the residents of multifamily dwellings have fewer recycling opportunities than residents of single family homes. Less than 40% of those living in multifamily residences have access to convenient recycling and, as a result, more than 85% of the waste generated at multi-family residences goes to landfills.

SB 1021 would help address this problem by helping offset the costs for local agencies, recycling services providers, apartment owners, and ultimately residents to have access to basic recycling opportunities. This measure compliments AB 548 (Levine), also on your desk awaiting signature, which would require owners of multi-family dwellings to provide recycling opportunities to their tenants.

Together, these measures could lead to 900 thousand tons of materials being diverted from landfill and recycled, resulting in a greenhouse gas reduction of nearly 1 million tons of CO2 per year.

SB 1021, along with AB 548, would significantly increase recycling in California by helping to bring a residential recycling opportunity to every resident in the state. We strongly urge your signature on this important piece of legislation.

Sincerely,

Name
Organization

CC: Californians Against Waste
Senator Alex Padilla

(Please FAX a copy of your signed letter to Californians Against Waste (916) 443-3912 for our records.)