Statement: Governor Newsom juices up CA Bottle Bill

Governor Newsom juices up CA Bottle Bill

SACRAMENTO, CA - Governor Newsom signed SB 353 (by Senator Dodd) - to include all juice containers in the CRV program! 

This expansion will create an additional 200 million new redemption opportunities each year. 

By signing this law, the Governor addresses two fiscal issues facing California recyclers. CalRecycle is now authorized to adjust processing payments using a 3 or 12-month average scrap value, whichever number provides a higher payment to recyclers. SB 353 will also provide temporary payments of $60/ton to rural recycling centers to offset the high cost of glass transport and operating costs. 

In response to the Governor’s signature of SB 353, Californians Against Waste Executive Director Mark Murray issued the following statement:

“California’s once best in the nation Beverage Container Recycling Infrastructure is in need of policy maker attention. The Governor’s signing of Senator Dodd’s SB 353 is positive step in the right direction. It will increase consumer recycling incentives on hundreds of millions of juice containers, reduce consumer confusion, and provide a modest level of increased support for rural recycling program operators.”

“However nearly one thousand California buybacks have closed and hundreds more are on the cusp of closing because program payments are failing to keep pace with the net cost of glass and plastic container recycling. The result for consumers and the environment is an embarrassing drop in recycling rates for a program that is flush with cash, and where beverage producers contribute a fraction of the cost of recycling their containers.”