Assembly Panel OKs Expansion of Bottle Bill

The Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee approved legislation this week that seeks to broaden provisions of California’s 12-year-old program on glass, plastic and aluminum recycling. The action chagrined soda and beer manufacturers, who say that the program unfairly forces beverage makers and bottlers to pay a disproportionate share of the recycling costs. Portions of the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act--commonly known as the bottle bill--will expire Jan. 1 without new legislation. AB 2309, introduced by Assemblywoman Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey), would not only extend those provisions but would expand the beverage containers affected to include those for purified waters, sports drinks, coffee, tea and most fruit juices, as well as juice boxes and wine bottles. Currently, carbonated soft drinks, wine coolers and beer are the only products covered by the program, which requires beverage makers to pay a processing fee to help cover the cost of recycling glass and plastics. AB 2309 next goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. No hearing date has been scheduled.