The CA Department of Conservation is currently solicitating requests for their 2008 Recycling Market Development and Expansion Grant Program. The grant program provides up to $20 million annually towards programs that help achieve and improve the state's beverage and container recycling rate. The focus is on recycling aluminum, glass and plastic, including the development or projects that result in sustainable manufacturing and processing and support efforts to reduce green-house gases.

For more information about this grant opportunity, please visit the DOC's website.

The first formal meeting of the state’s Climate Action Team subgroup on Recycling and Waste Management will be taking place next week. The Recycling and Waste Management Subgroup is part of the Governor’s Climate Action Team, which is the primary vehicle for state agencies such as the Department of Conservation and the CIWMB to make policy recommendations for the implementation of AB 32.

This meeting is the starting point in the process for developing a proposal that could include a credit system for the production and utilization of recycled/composted materials, as well as host of other programs to remove barriers to composting and increase commercial and residential recycling.

Monday’s meeting will be an opportunity to urge the CAT subgroup to recommend to ARB a set of strong policies that will encourage the ARB to focus on waste reduction, recycling, and composting as greenhouse gas reduction measures.

The meeting of the newly expanded Recycling and Waste Management Subgroup (formerly “Landfill Subgroup”) will be held Monday at the Cal/EPA building, and the audio from the meeting will be webcast. Although this is only an introductory meeting and not much will actually be decided, this CAT subgroup process will be a good opportunity for recyclers, composters, and industries that use recycled materials to support including recycling in the development of the AB 32 Scoping Plan.

• Agenda
• Webcast (Audio Only)

Beginning Sunday, July 1, three new recycling programs will go into effect in California, from recycling plastic bags, and paying more for your bottles, cans and DVD players.

First, is AB 2449 (Levine), which requires large grocery stores and retailers to provide recycling receptacles for their carry-out plastic bags as well as making reusable bags available for purchase in their stores. Get more information here.

Californians should also be ready to pay a little more when purchasing bottled waters, sodas and other drinks. Californians currently receive the five and ten cent refund value for their bottles and cans they recycle, but have been paying the four and eight cents deposit fees when purchasing those same bottles and cans. That changes on Sunday when the deposit fees increase to match the California Refund Value that began January 1, with five cents being paid for beverage containers under 24 ounces and 10 cents for containers 24 ounces and greater.

The other new program involves an advanced disposal fee to be charged on purchases of portable DVD players. The State Board of Equalization announced that the e-waste fees will extend to those DVD players with screens larger than four inches diagonally. The fee ranges from $6-$10 depending on size of the screen and be collected by retailers upon purchase.

Read more in the San Diego Union Tribune article.>>

What You Can Do

• Learn more about plastic bag waste.
• Read about the California bottle bill.
  

Stephen Bantillo, the Commercial Services Program Manager for the city of San Jose's Integrated Waste Management Division, was appointed Thursday to be the assistant director of recycling for the Department of Conservation.

Bantillo has worked for the City's Integrated Waste Management Division since 1990 and is also a member of the National Recycling Coalition Board of Directors and the Construction Materials Recycling Association Board of Directors.

Read Governor's Press Release.>>