Californians Against Waste
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| Motto | Conserving Resources. Preventing Pollution. Protecting the Environment. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977 |
| Location | |
| Fields | Environmentalism Recycling |
| Website | www.cawrecycles.org |
Californians Against Waste is an environmental advocacy organization that advocates for stronger environmental laws and more recycling at the state and local level. The organization was founded in 1977 and has sponsored numerous successful citizen initiatives. It is headquartered two blocks from California's state capitol in Sacramento, CA.
The stated mission of Californians Against Waste is "to conserve resources, prevent pollution and protect California’s environment through the development, promotion and implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs."
In 1977, a group of California environmentalists founded Californians Against Waste to organize support for beverage container recycling policies that would eventually lead to the creation of the California Redemption Value, also known by the CRV acronym found on bottles and cans. Oregon passed the nation’s first bottle bill in 1970. In 1986, CAW worked with Assemblymember Burt Margolin to sponsor and see signed into law AB 2020, which created the CRV.
After personal computers and cell phones started to become widely used in California in the 1990s, a growing amount of resulting e-waste began accumulating in landfills. These electronics often contain hazardous materials, and the handling and disposal of these products created new, toxic threats to the environment and public health. In the 2000s, Californians Against Waste sponsored legislation that created retailer take-back programs for personal computers, mobile phones, rechargeable batteries and other household electronics. Today, hundreds of electronics retailers throughout the state participate in the program and accept these items for recycling, free of charge. The legislation also established limits on the amount of hazardous materials that electronics may contain, as well as efficiency standards for light bulbs that led to the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs in the state.
Take-back programs are based on the concept of product stewardship, and Californians Against Waste went on the apply this concept to major sources of waste besides e-waste. Since 2010, the organization has sponsored legislation that brought the PaintCare unused paint drop-off recycling program to California, and created a used mattress drop-off program expected to take effect in early 2016.
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