AB 548 (Levine, 2007-08) Bringing the Opportunity to Recycle to Every Californian

Summary.

Provides a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units.

Position and Status. 
CAW Supports. AB 548 was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger on Oct. 14. Previously, it passed the Assembly on concurrence of Senate amendments September 4 with a 50-26 vote and passed the Senate Floor with a 21-13 vote on July 2. In 2008, the language for this bill has been inserted and re-introduced as AB 822.

Description.
California as a whole currently diverts more than 50 percent of its generated waste, with only an estimated 15% of waste generated at multifamily dwellings being diverted.

While nearly 70 percent of Californians living in single family homes have access to curbside recycling, no more than 40 percent of those living in multifamily dwellings have access to a residential recycling opportunity and many of those are unaware of it.

AB 548 will require that an owner of a multifamily dwelling to arrange appropriate recycling services for the dwelling on and after July 1, 2008. The bill also defines a multifamily dwelling as a residential building which consists of five or more units.

CAW Staff Contacts.
Mark Murray (916) 443-5422

Supporters.
Californians Against Waste (Sponsor)
Allied Waste Services 
Assemblymember Jose Solorio 
BFI Waste Services
California Association of Local Conservation Corps 
California League of Conservation Voters 
California State Association of Counties 
California Refuse Removal Council 
California Resource Recovery Association 
City of Oakland, Environmental Services Department 
City of Monterey, Dept. of Public Works
City of San Diego, City Attorney's Office
City/County of San Francisco Department of the Environment 
Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority 
East Bay Conservation Corps
EcologyAction 
El Cajon City Council/Redevelopment Agency
Councilmember Donna Frye, City of San Diego
Councilmember Steve Castaneda, City of Chula Vista
Global Recycling Council
Hidden Resources
Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries 
Lake County
Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal, City of Long Beach 
Ma foret en Cote-d'Ivoire
Mojave Desert & Mountain Recycling
Napa County, Department of Environmental Management
Napa Recycling & Waste Services
Natural Resources Defense Council
Norcal Waste Systems
Northern California Recycling Association 
Orange County Conservation Corps
Planning and Conservation League 
Mayor Emily Reilly, City of Santa Cruz 
Mayor Tony Santos, City of San Leandro 
San Francisco Conservation Corps
Sierra Club California
Solid Waste Association of North America 
StopWaste.Org (Alameda Co. Waste Management Authority) 
Surfrider Foundation (San Diego Chapter) 
Urban Corps of San Diego
Watergate Community Association 


Current Language, Analyses, Votes