AB2481 - Beverage containers: recycling: glass: quality incentive payments.

Enrolled August 26, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 20, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 24, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 22, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 16, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2481 Introduced by Assembly Member Soria February 20, 2026 An act to amend Section 14549.1 of the Public Resources Code, relating to beverage containers, and making an appropriation therefor. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2481, Soria. Beverage containers: recycling: glass: quality incentive payments. The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires a distributor of beverage containers to pay to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery a redemption payment for every beverage container sold or offered for sale, as provided. The act requires the department to deposit those amounts into the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund. The act requires the fund to be continuously appropriated to the department for specified purposes, including, among other things, to pay refund values, administrative fees, and processing payments associated with the collection and recycling of empty beverage containers. The act continuously appropriates up to $15,000,000 annually from the fund to the department for quality incentive payments for empty glass beverage containers to an operator of a curbside recycling program or other certified entity, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to make quality incentive payments from the fund for empty glass beverage containers that are substantially free from contamination and used for the manufacturing of glass products in the state that are not beverage containers, as specified. By authorizing a new use for continuously appropriated funds, the bill would make an appropriation. Digest Key Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 14549.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 14549.1. (a) In order to improve the quality and marketability of empty beverage containers collected for recycling in the state by curbside recycling programs or dropoff or collection programs, the department may, consistent with Section 14581 and subject to the availability of funds, pay a quality incentive payment for each material type, as specified in subdivision (c). (b) The department may make a quality incentive payment pursuant to this section to either an operator of a curbside recycling program registered pursuant to Section 14551.5, or to any other entity certified pursuant to this division. (c) Subject to subdivision (a), the department shall pay a quality incentive payment for each type of beverage container material in accordance with the following conditions: (1) For quality incentive payments for empty glass beverage containers, all of the following shall apply: (A) The department may make a quality incentive payment only for color-sorted glass beverage containers that are substantially free of contamination and are used for the manufacturing of glass beverage containers in this state. (B) The department may make a quality incentive payment for empty glass beverage containers that are either collected color sorted by curbside recycling programs or dropoff or collection programs, or that are collected mixed color by curbside recycling programs or dropoff or collection programs and are subsequently color sorted by the collector or any other entity certified pursuant to this division. (C) The amount of the quality incentive payment for empty glass beverage containers shall be up to sixty dollars ($60) per ton, as determined by the department. (D) (i) At the end of the calendar year and following the second biannual disbursement of quality incentive payments for color-sorted glass beverage containers and empty glass beverage containers used for the manufacturing of glass beverage containers in the state pursuant to subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, the department may use any remaining funds from the annual appropriation under paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 14581 to make quality incentive payments for empty glass beverage containers that are substantially free from contamination and used for the manufacturing of glass products in the state that are not beverage containers. (ii) The amount of the quality incentive payment pursuant to this subparagraph shall be up to thirty dollars ($30) per ton, as determined by the department, and shall be available only for material that would otherwise qualify for quality incentive payments under subparagraph (A). (2) For quality incentive payments for empty plastic beverage containers, both of the following shall apply: (A) The department may make a quality incentive payment only for plastic beverage containers collected by curbside recycling programs or dropoff or collection programs, that are sorted by resin type, consistent with any quality specifications that the department may adopt. (B) The amount of the quality plastic incentive payment shall be up to one hundred eighty dollars ($180) per ton, as determined by the department. (3) For quality payments for empty aluminum beverage containers, all of the following shall apply: (A) The department may make a quality incentive payment only for aluminum beverage containers that are free of any and all metallic and nonmetallic items, other than used aluminum containers. (B) The department may make a quality incentive payment for empty aluminum beverage containers that are collected commingled by curbside recycling programs or dropoff or collection programs, and subsequently cleaned by the collector or any other entity certified pursuant to this division, of any and all metallic and nonmetallic items, other than used aluminum containers, consistent with any quality specifications that the department may adopt. (C) The amount of the quality incentive payment for empty aluminum beverage containers shall be up to one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) per ton, as determined by the department. (d) An operator of a curbside recycling program or any other certified entity receiving a quality incentive payment shall make available for inspection and review any relevant record that the department determines is necessary to verify the accuracy of data upon which the quality incentive payment is based and the operator’s or certified entity’s compliance with any applicable regulation. (e) The department may make only one quality incentive payment for each empty beverage container collected pursuant to this section.