SACRAMENTO – A green economic stimulus bill by Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) that will create thousands of new recycling jobs in California was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown today. The bill will move California beyond the current 50 percent waste reduction standard and establish a new 75 percent statewide recycling goal.
"Recycling is a powerful fuel that helps propel California's economic engine," Chesbro said. "California's commitment to recycling has created 125,000 new jobs over the past two decades. The industry generates $4 billion a year in salaries and produces $10 billion worth of goods and services annually.
"My bill expands on the law passed 21 years ago that made California the nation's leader in recycling. Not only do we create more green jobs, we protect the environment and conserve energy by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills."
Chesbro's AB 341 expands on AB 939, the California Integrated Waste Management Act passed in 1989, which was the ground-breaking legislation that set recycling standards for California and has been a model for other states. AB 939 made it possible for California to lead the nation in the amount of waste diverted from landfills, currently 58 percent, and to create those 125,000 jobs. AB 341 requires that all "commercial" generators of solid waste (businesses, institutions and multi-family dwellings) establish recycling and/or composting programs. AB 341 also establishes the new recycling goal of 75 percent by 2020.
"Recycling's a proven job creator," said Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against Waste. "Assemblymember Chesbro's AB 341 will bring local governments and the private sector together to divert the 15 million tons of recyclables that the commercial sector and apartments still sent to landfills every year. AB 341 is expected to create up to 60,000 jobs. Processing this material alone in California has the potential to create more than 17,000 new jobs. And if we can manufacture these recycled materials in-state we can create another 25,000 jobs."
"In addition to the thousands of green jobs that diverting waste away from landfills creates, recycling saves natural resources, it saves energy and it reduces the amount of water and electricity needed in the manufacturing process," Chesbro said.
Contact: Lisa Ramer (916) 319-2001
