Jan 16 - CAW's Legislative Priorities Take Shape
For the last several months, CAW staff and board members have been meeting with stakeholders and policy makers to craft our 2007 Policy and legislative agenda. Below is a brief summary of that agenda. For a more detailed description click here. I'm sharing this preliminary draft in order to solicit another round of feedback from supporters and stakeholders. I'm anxious to know what you think. Please e-mail me your thoughts and ideas at: murray@cawrecycles.org
CAW's (Draft) 2007 Policy and Legislative Priorities:
• Reducing Human & Environmental Exposure to Toxics by Reducing and Recycling Hazardous Products & Materials
Legislative Agenda:
1. California RoHS: Phase out the use of Toxic Materials in Consumer Electronics.
2. Expand California E-Recycling Law: Expand existing successful computer monitor and TV recycling law to include all computers and printers.
3. Battery Take-back: Require California retailers to take-back and recycle all household batteries.
4. Used Motor Oil: Establish minimum recycled content standard for all automotive and industrial lubricants sold in California.
5. EPR for Hazardous Materials: Provide State Environmental agencies with the authority to require Producer Responsibility for reducing and recycling products and materials whose disposal in the solid waste stream has been restricted.
• Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions thru Source Reduction and Recycling
Legislative Agenda:
1. Recycling Opportunity for Everyone: Expand residential recycling to every California household (single and multi-family).
2. Commercial Recycling: Make recycling available to every interested business in the state of California.
3. Expansion of foodwaste composting: Hundreds of California communities now have greenwaste collection programs in place, these programs could be expanded to include food waste, which accounts for nearly 15% of the state’s waste stream.
4. Material Specific Recycling Requirements: Identify materials for recycling requirements or landfill bans such as aluminum, cardboard, or greenwaste.
• Reducing Water Pollution and Marine Debris by Reducing and Recycling Plastic Litter and Waste
Legislative Agenda:
1. Promote Bag Reuse and implement Takeback requirement for all carry out bags.
2. Expand California Bottle Bill to include all plastic bottles.
3. Restrict the sale/distribution of take-out food packaging in coastal areas when that packaging is not compatible with existing successful recycling or composting programs.