Solid waste: single-use carryout bags.

Existing law, until January 1, 2020, requires an operator of a store, as defined, to establish an at-store recycling program that provides to customers the opportunity to return clean plastic carryout bags to that store. With specified exceptions, this bill, as of January 1, 2015, would prohibit stores that have a specified amount of dollar sales or retail floor space from providing a single-use carryout bag to a customer. The bill would require these stores to meet other specified requirements regarding providing recycled paper bags and compostable bags to customers. The bill would require these stores to make reusable grocery bags available to customers. The bill would, on and after July 1, 2016, additionally impose these prohibitions and requirements on convenience food stores, foodmarts, and certain other specified stores. The bill, beginning January 1, 2016, would require reusable grocery bags that are sold or provided to a store by a reusable grocery bag producer meet specified requirements, and would require a producer to provide an independent certification to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery that the bags meet the requirements, and to pay a specified fee. The bill would require the department to deposit all penalties collected for violations of these requirements into the Reusable Bag Account, which would be established by the bill in the Integrated Waste Management Fund. The bill would require that moneys in the account be expended by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to implement these requirements. The bill would allow a city, county, or city and county, or the state to impose civil penalties for a violation of the bill's requirements, except for the certification requirements. The bill would require these civil penalties to be paid to the office of the city attorney, city prosecutor, district attorney, or Attorney General, whichever office brought the action, and would allow the penalties collected by the Attorney General to be expended by the Attorney General, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to enforce the bill's provisions. The bill would provide that these remedies are not exclusive, as specified. This bill would prohibit enforcement and implementation of local ordinances and other local regulations on this subject that were enacted on or after January 1, 2014, as specified.