May 12, 2015
The Honorable Jimmy Gomez
California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 2114
Sacramento, CA 95814
SUBJECT: AB 1159: SHARING RESPONSBILITY FOR ALKALINE BATTERY AND NEEDLE
MANAGEMENT - SUPPORT
Dear Assemblymember Gomez:
The __________________ is in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 1159, which would create a
sustainable, cost-effective and convenient collection and recycling program for nonrechargeable batteries sold in California to finally achieve the goals of state disposal bans for
household batteries in 2006 and sharps/needles in 2008.
[Talk about your organization and why you support the bill – and any problems you have and
costs associated with alkaline battery and sharps collection and management. If you have any
specific costs or data on recycling/waste workers being stuck with needles and related costs or
personal stories, please share them!
AB 1159 is a pilot-program that seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness and potential
applications of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to the state legislature. EPR is a public
policy option that recognizes the significant public health, environmental, occupational safety
and health, and fiscal impacts resulting from some products at the end of their useful life and is
successfully used around the world. Batteries and sharps are exceptionally expensive to
manage, and sharps create a significant occupational safety hazard for solid waste workers.
AB 1159 will require producers of household batteries and sharps to design, implement and
manage a customized collection system that is safe and convenient for California consumers to
conveniently recycle and dispose just as they do in other countries. This supports a smaller
government, lower tax and garbage rate, private-sector approach with proper state
government oversight. The bill does not require manufacturers to bear all of the responsibility
for the impact of these products – it just requires a contribution to the efforts already funded
by taxpayers and managed by local governments. It’s recognition that industry has a role in
managing the end-of-life consequences of the products they produce when those products
have substantial societal impacts at the end-of-life and that externalizing all the costs is just not
fair nor reasonable.
___________ is in strong support of this important piece of legislation.
Sincerely,
NAME and Title
Organization
cc:
Members of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations Fax: (916) 319-2181
Assembly member Richard Gordon
Assembly member Das Williams
Assembly member Mark Stone