HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12191995 - SD5 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
FROM: SUPERVISOR JIM ROGERSj` Costa
zA�..,:..�... .oQ County
DATE: December 14 1995
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RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA BEVERAG CONTAINER
SUBJECT: RECYCLING, CURBSIDE EXPANSION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
REIMBURSEMENT ACT
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
ADOPT the attached Resolution to endorse the California Beverage Container
Recycling, Curbside Expansion and Local Government Reimbursement Act.
BACKGROUND:
California's current beverage container recycling law is a success. Eighty percent
(80%) of the beverage containers covered by the program are recycled.
However, there is a loophole in the current law. Neither wine nor liquor bottles are
covered, and only 25% of these containers are now being recycled.
The current beverage container recycling law should be expanded. This will be good
for both the environment and the economy.
Local government curbside recycling programs have also been a great success, and
also need to be expanded.
The purpose of this initiative is to add wine and liquor containers to California's
recycling law and to use money paid by the people who don't recycle their containers
to reimburse local governments for their curbside and other recycling programs.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
_APPROVE OTHER
I
SIGNATURE(S): JIM 40GERS�
ACTION OF BOARD ON D2ce ber 19, 19955' APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that Resolution 95/631 is adopted.
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
J I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. p p
ATTESTED ���` 19
" ) I I
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
CC: SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
County Administrator
Community Development Director
BY DEPUTY
The sponsors of this initiative have worked well with the Legislature in the original
passage of the beverage container recycling law and in fine-tuning it. However,
efforts to add wine and liquor containers have met with strong special interest
opposition. The sponsors of this initiative consider bringing this matter to the people
a last resort to add these containers to the program and thus significantly increase
its effectiveness.
Under present law, manufacturers of containers for carbonated beverages (soft
drinks, beer and wine and distilled spirit coolers) pay a redemption payment to the
Department of Conservation of two and one-half cents (2'/2¢) per container unit under
24 ounces or five cents (5¢) per container 24 ounces or larger.
The Beverage Container Recycling, Curbside Expansion and Local Government
Reimbursement Act would add wine and liquor containers to the program. It retains
the existing refund values (and changes the term "redemption value" to "recycling
refund value").
The pool of money paid in deposits by those consumers who do not recycle their
containers, called the "unredeemed fund", would be allocated as follows:
• $7.5 million will be paid directly to the operators of curbside programs to
establish greater incentives for recycling.
• $7.5 million will be paid directly to local governments as reimbursement for
their recycling programs. These funds can be used to enhance beverage
container recycling programs, including cleanup of illegal dumps and vacant
lots, and for efforts to reduce scavenging of curbside programs.
• $9.3 million annually as grants for community conservation corps, which hire
at-risk youth.
• $3.0 million annually as grants for nonprofit organizations to enhance
beverage container recycling and reuse programs.
• $2.7 million annually as payments for certified rural recycling centers through
January 1, 2003.
The initiative would also retain an existing provision of law which provides $18.5
million annually from the unredeemed fund as handling fees to convenience zone
(supermarket parking lot-based) recycling centers. This funding would still sunset
January 1, 1999, as is provided in current law.
-2-
• IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
In the Matter of Endorsing the RESOLUTION # 95/631
California Beverage Container
Recycling, Curbside Expansion
and Local Government
Reimbursement Act
WHEREAS, The Beverage Container Recycling Program has been very successful,
with more than 75% of containers in the program being recycled; and
WHEREAS, containers not in the program are only being recycled at about a 20%
rate, with the rest ending up in our landfills, or as litter in illegal dumps, on roadsides
and in recreation areas; and
WHEREAS, a coalition of environmentalists, recyclers, local governments and
legislators have made six unsuccessful attempts in the last nine years to pass
legislation to add wine and liquor containers to the Beverage Container Recycling
Program; and
WHEREAS, recycling curbside and neighborhood drop-off centers provide a
valuable service to enable citizens to conveniently recycle their containers and other
material and need to be enhanced and expanded; and
WHEREAS, a huge majority of Californians have in many ways expressed their
support for recycling and for inclusion of other containers in the program; and
WHEREAS, the California Beverage Container Recycling, Curbside Expansion and
Local Government Reimbursement Act, proposed for the November, 1996 ballot, a
modest proposal to add wine and liquor containers to the Beverage Container
Recycling Program will:
• result in the recycling of over 250 million additional plastic and glass
containers;
• decrease the establishment of illegal dumps, and decrease litter on our roads
and in our parks and other recreational areas;
• aid in meeting California's 50% waste diversion goals;
• Provide reimbursements to local governments to offset their costs in providing
curbside and community drop-off recycling centers and provide incentives for
expanding those programs; and
• aid litter abatement and scavenging control efforts:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE
COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA RESOLVED that the County officially endorses the
California Beverage Container Recycling, Curbside Expansion and Local
Government Reimbursement Act and urges its citizens, both private and business,
to support the measure on the November, 1996 ballot; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
transmit this Resolution to the County's representatives in the State Legislature and
at the California State Association of Counties.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of a resolution entered
on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date,pforres�c �mrsi�etnreandeon�eeteepyd
an action t--kcn and=crcd on the minutes of the
Board of Supervisors on tho date shown.
ATTESTED: 1 M,..A u^ 19. 19 9 L
PHIL BATCHELOR,Clerk of the Boar rd
of Supervisors and County Administrator
.Y ._..IDeputy