Recycling: plastic containers.

(1) The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 requires rigid plastic packaging containers that are sold or offered for sale in this state to meet, on average, one of specified criteria and defines terms for purposes of those requirements. One criteria that a product-associated or a single resin type rigid plastic packaging container may meet to satisfy this requirement is that it have a recycling rate of 45%. The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is required to enforce the act's plastic packaging container requirements and a violation of these requirements is a crime. This bill would increase the recycling rate that a product-associated, or single resin type, rigid plastic packaging container is required to meet under this criteria to 75%, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by changing the definition of a crime. The bill would also delete obsolete provisions and make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.