To help increase commercial recycling, a mandatory commercial recycling measure was included in the California Air Resources Board (ARB) Scoping Plan adopted in December 2008, as required by the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Increasing the recovery of recyclable materials will directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

 

As the state's lead for mandatory commercial recycling measure, CalRecycle originally worked with ARB to develop a Mandatory Commercial Recycling regulation.  Assembly Bill (AB) 341 was signed on October 6, 2011. The regulation states that any business (including public entities) that generates 4 cubic yards or more of solid waste a week or multi-family residential dwellings of 5 units or more will have to have a recycling program in place either through their hauler, self-hauling the materials or donating the materials. Local jurisdictions are required to outreach and monitor business's recycling efforts.