New California law requires more detailed disposal reporting

Recycling and waste management companies in California are now required to report waste disposal, organics and recycling data to the state’s waste management agency.

AB 901 went into effect July 1, establishing the Recycling and Disposal Facility Reporting System law to require select businesses to report the types, quantities and destinations of materials that are disposed of, sold or transferred.

The following businesses will be reporting directly to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) on a quarterly basis:

• recycling facilities; 
• composting facilities; 
• disposal facilities, including landfills; 
• transformation facilities; 
• engineered municipal solid waste conversion facilities; 
• transfer/processor facilities; 
• contract haulers; 
• good waste self-haulers; 
• brokers; and 
transporters.

In addition to collecting more detailed waste disposal information, the law requires reporting on recycling and composting data for the first time, as well.

Prior to the law, facility operators submitted waste disposal information to their counties, resulting in disjointed and inaccurate reporting at the state level, CalRecycle says.

CalRecycle says the data acquired by the new regulations will: inform its understanding of material flows within the state’s recycling infrastructure; allow the agency to better estimate total recycling and composting; and assist the agency to track progress towards several state goals and programs, including the 75 percent recycling goal, mandatory commercial recycling and organics diversion programs.

CalRecycle says this information will also allow the agency to implement various improvements in areas such as increased responsiveness to changes in the recycling landscape, operational efficiencies and the targeting of state resources to recycling infrastructure to “foster a circular economy.”