An Assembly policy committee gave near-unanimous approval on March 20 to a California Chamber of Commerce-supported bill that will reduce the number of surplus household consumer products unnecessarily managed as hazardous waste.
Consumers and the environment will benefit if AB 2660 (Quirk; D-Hayward) becomes law. It allows surplus consumer products to be donated or recycled by making explicit that a retail location in California may transport surplus consumer products to a reverse distribution location in compliance with applicable shipping regulations.
Current law regulating when a product is deemed waste is vague and has resulted in many retailers taking conservative action and disposing of products as hazardous waste when those products are viable candidates for sale into secondary markets, donation and/or recycling.
AB 2660 seeks to clarify the law so that the products can be processed at reverse distribution locations for sale in secondary markets, donation, recalls, or bona fide financial credit.
California retailers have settled significant hazardous waste enforcement actions in recent years. This bill does not seek to undo any of the significant progress that has been achieved in improving hazardous waste management following these enforcement actions.
Indeed, as part of these enforcement action settlements, industry was instructed to seek legislative remedies to clarify the ambiguities in the law related to reverse distribution. AB 2660 provides that clarification and is a response to that requirement.
Industry is proud of the improvements made throughout the distribution chain to improve compliance with existing law for the benefit of California’s environment. By clarifying the role of reverse logistics, AB 2660 builds upon this success and furthers California’s waste minimization goals.
Key Vote
AB 2660 passed the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee on March 20 on a vote of 6-0:
Ayes: Arambula (D-Kingsburg), Chen (R-Walnut), Friedman (D-Glendale), Holden (D-Pasadena), Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Quirk (D-Hayward).
No vote recorded: Brough (R-Dana Point).
The bill will be considered next by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
