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<Date>

Senator Tom Torlakson, Chair
Senate Appropriations Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: SB 1625 (Corbett) Bottle Bill Update – Support

Dear Senator Torlakson:

<Organization> urges your support of Senate Bill 1625 by Ellen Corbett, which will help reduce plastic litter, waste and marine debris by expanding California’s successful Container Recycling Law to include all plastic bottles. This expansion will add over $100 million in additional annual revenue for local governments to implement recycling programs.

Managing plastic waste poses a growing cost burden on local governments. The collection and disposal of plastic bottles costs local governments and ratepayers in excess of $32 million annually. The increase in recycling as a result of SB 1625 will—at minimum--cut this disposal cost in half. What little plastic bottle recycling is occurring now is primarily being subsidized by local governments and ratepayers, at the rate of more than $16 million annually. SB 1625 will eliminate these existing costs to curbside recycling programs and instead provide curbside programs with more than $67 million in new recycling program revenue. SB 1625 and the resulting growth in recycling represents a net revenue benefit to local governments and curbside recycling programs of roughly $100 million annually.

California generates more than 6.5 billion plastic bottles and approximately 300 million plastic-coated beverage boxes and cartons annually, none of which are currently covered under existing law. And while upwards of 95 percent of these containers are ‘technically recyclable’ less than 12% are currently being recycled. That means more than 220,000 tons of plastic and plastic-coated paper is littered or landfilled in California annually.

This proposal would add a ‘California Refund Value’ of 5 cents (10 cents on containers 24 ounces and larger)—and apply the resources, infrastructure and incentives of California’s most successful recycling program—to the problem of nearly 6 billion plastic bottles and plastic coated containers that are landfilled or become litter and marine debris in the state annually.

When implemented, this measure will result in the recycling of more than 3 billion additional plastic bottles, reducing littered and landfilled plastic waste by 130,000 tons annually.

For all these reasons, we urge your ‘Aye’ vote on this important measure when it is heard in Senate Appropriations.

Sincerely,

<Signed>
<Name and Title>

c.c. Members, Senate Appropriations Committee