AB-2481 • 2026

Beverage containers: recycling: glass: quality incentive payments.

Budget

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Soria
Last action: 2026-04-20
Official status: Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify exact amounts or other potential qualifying manufacturers beyond fiberglass insulation makers.

Beverage Containers: Recycling Glass Incentives

This law allows the state to give money from a recycling fund to programs and other entities that collect clean glass bottles for reuse.

What This Bill Does

Requires beverage container distributors to pay a redemption payment to the department for each bottle sold or offered for sale.
Deposits these payments into the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund.
Allocates up to $15 million annually from this fund to give quality incentive payments to recycling programs and other certified entities that collect clean glass bottles.
Allows the state to pay incentives to manufacturers who use recycled glass in their products, such as fiberglass insulation makers.

Who It Names or Affects

Beverage container distributors
Recycling program operators
Manufacturers using recycled glass

Terms To Know

Redemption payment: Money paid by beverage distributors to the state for each bottle sold.
Glass cullet: Recycled glass that is used as raw material in manufacturing processes.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money each entity will receive.
It's unclear which manufacturers beyond fiberglass insulation makers would qualify for incentives.

Bill History

2026-04-20 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 13).
2026-03-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2026-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2481, as amended, 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 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
to other entities,
for empty glass beverage containers that are substantially free from contamination and used by other manufacturers,
including, but not limited to, manufacturers of fiberglass insulation in this state that use glass cullet, as specified. By authorizing a new use for continuously appropriated funds, the bill would make an appropriation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF