Bill > SB1010

This bill, titled the Hazardous waste: major appliances: recycling, aims to strengthen regulations around the recycling of major appliances and establish a new stewardship program for appliances containing refrigerants. Key provisions include requiring certified appliance recyclers and others handling discarded major appliances to provide detailed records of materials removed and their disposal methods to the state department, expanding the certification process for appliance recyclers to include facility descriptions and CUPA (Certified Unified Program Agency) registration, and mandating that scrap recycling facilities only accept appliances from certified recyclers or authorized individuals, requiring them to document receipt and confirm the removal of hazardous materials. Furthermore, the bill repeals existing provisions for a statewide list of appliance recyclers and instead mandates the department to post a list of certified recyclers and processing data online, and it introduces the "Refrigerant Stewardship and Recovery Act," a producer-funded program where manufacturers of covered products (like refrigerators and air conditioners) must join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). This PRO will develop and implement a plan for the collection, dismantling, refrigerant recovery, recycling, and safe management of these appliances, with the department overseeing and approving these plans, and imposing penalties for non-compliance, while also establishing a dedicated fund for program costs.