Legislation
8th Annual Legislative Summit
In early May 2019, a delegation from ACRI met with legislators and regulators in Sacramento to discuss recycling markets and policy.
The ACRI team first met with Secretary Jared Blumenfeld, from CalEPA and Director Scott Smithline from CalRecycle. Our productive meeting focused on industry challenges and urged comprehensive reform of the state's CRV program.
Throughout the two-day summit, ACRI met with 18 legislative offices and shared first hand experience with the industry's changing and limited recycling markets. Additionally, our team shared ACRI's priority to ensure recyclable materials have an end market, keeping them out of the state's landfills.
As always, ACRI offered our assistance to state leadership to serve as a resource when developing recycling policy and helping the state meet their recycling and diversion goals.
ACRI will continue to monitor these issues and will inform our membership as they move through the legislative process. ACRI makes it a priority to track bills that may impact our industry and weigh in when necessary. We continue to position ACRI as the leader and go-to expert on the recycling industry throughout California.
Governor Brown Vetos SB 452
The ACRI Board has been engaged in many bills that impact our industry. One bill, SB 452, was particularly troublesome for ACRI members as it was not the comprehensive approach to CRV reform we were all hoping for and instead would have inhibited the program from the real reform. As written, the bill prioritized the recycling rate over integrity of the Beverage Container Recycling Fund and attempted to preserve and revive the current Handling Fee structure, which is misused, outdated and broken.
Governor Brown vetoed the bill stating, "SB 452 is inconsistent with the Administration's principles for reforming and modernizing this program," in his veto message.
We will continue to work with state leadership on legislation that will preserve and protect the rights of independent recyclers across the state.