Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, § 2000
(a) In addition to the definitions provided in the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act, except for subdivisions (a)(3.1), (10), (20), (21), (35), (37), (38), (40) and (42) below which modify definitions in the Act for purposes of these regulations, the following definitions shall apply whenever the terms are used in this chapter.
(2) “Administrative Costs” means the cost of recordkeeping and accounting required of curbside programs, distributors, recycling centers and processors to comply with the requirements of the Act and these regulations.
(2.1) “Amended Processor Invoice” means an invoice submitted by a processor correcting an original report that has been processed and paid.
(2.2) “Amended Shipping Report” means a shipping report submitted by a processor correcting an original shipping report that has been processed and paid.
(2.5) “Alternative Methodology” means an individual commingled rate survey methodology, which either employs the Division's methodology with variations or creates a proposed methodology for the dropoff or collection, community service or curbside programs to arrive at an individual commingled rate.
(2.7) “Anchor recycling center” means a recycling center that has applied to operate one or more mobile units under section 2047.
(3) “Applicant” means the person(s) who has authority to legally bind the operator to a contract.
(C) Notwithstanding, the other provisions of this section, any certified processor shall not be considered a beneficiating processor if fifty percent (50%) or more of the cullet purchased by that processor during the survey month in which the scrap value data is reported was purchased as beneficiated cullet.
(3.2) “Beverage manufacturer” shall have the same definition as provided in Public Resources Code section 14506, and “any person ... who imports”, as provided in that section, shall include, in the following order of preference:
(C) Any person or entity bringing filled beverage containers into this State from without this State which are not consigned to any person, when the filled beverage containers are for delivery, use, or sale within this State.
(3.5) “Bottle-grade” means any food-grade material suitable for use as a beverage container by a beverage manufacturer.
(3.7) (A) “Bottle washer processor” means a person who accepts empty reusable beverage containers in this state and is responsible for cancelling empty reusable beverage containers in the manner prescribed in section 2000(a)(4)(B)(ii).
(3.01) “Bag” means a bag, box, or other empty beverage container holder. This definition does not apply to the term “bag in box” or to subchapter 9.5.
(3.02) “Bag drop receptacle” means a recycling mechanism at which consumers can drop off empty beverage containers for redemption in a sealed bag. For purposes of this paragraph, “sealed” means the bag is secured by the consumer in such a way that loose empty beverage containers will not fall out of the bag once the bag is deposited into the bag drop receptacle.
(3.1) “Beneficiating Processor” means any processor certified by the department who sells cullet to another certified processor or to a glass container manufacturer during the three months preceding the month in which scrap value data is reported to the Division and who beneficiates purchased cullet so that the cullet either:
(4) “Cancellation” means the act of removing the refund value of an empty beverage container by any of the following actions:
(B) Glass empty beverage containers shall be deemed cancelled when such containers have been substantially cleaned of non-glass contaminants and they are:
(F) Any empty beverage container shall be deemed cancelled when it is delivered to a location of end use and the delivery verified in accordance with subsections 2420(d)(1), (2) and (3) provided that the following requirements are met:
(9) “Clearly and Prominently” means that the redemption message is displayed so that it is easily found and read by consumers and recyclers. Each letter comprising the message is complete, legible, and cannot be readily obscured. Other factors include boldness, width, spacing, and location of lettering. The message must be distinguishable from refund messages of other states.
(9.5) “Close proximity” means the area within, or adjacent to, a convenience zone, as determined by the Division on a case-by-case basis considering geographic and demographic factors, and consumer convenience.
(11) “Community Service Program” means a program, certified by the Division, which does not pay refund value and accepts or collects empty beverage containers at a specific location or locations and meets one of the following criteria:
(22) “Exemption” means an exclusion to the requirement that a recycling center must be established in a convenience zone.
(22.5) “Exempt convenience zone” or “Exempt zone” means a convenience zone which has been granted an exemption pursuant to Section 14571.8 of the Act.
(24) “Facility” means a recycling or processing operation that has been built, installed or established to serve as a collection or processing point for redeemable beverage containers.
(24.5) “Food-grade” means any material suitable for contact with consumable food or drink products and which complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
(27) “Indelibly” means that the redemption message is permanently affixed on the beverage container from the point of purchase until the point of redemption and cannot be smeared or removed during regular use.
(27.1) “Individual Commingled Rate” means a commingled rate approved by the Division which is applicable to dropoff or collection, community service, or curbside programs, which have obtained prior approval from the Division.
(27.5) “Interested person” means a supermarket, dealer, certified recycling center, person with a pending certification application, located in or in close proximity to the zone under consideration for an exemption or revocation of an exemption, or a local government agency with jurisdiction over the area where the zone under consideration for an exemption or revocation is located.
(27.6) “Line Breakage,” for purposes of these regulations, means preconsumer material that is recycled or disposed of by a container manufacturer, beverage manufacturer, distributor, or dealer.
(27.7) “Letter of Denial” (LED) means a notice sent to program participants denying requests to conduct an individual commingled rate survey or denying approval of an individual commingled rate, or revoking an individual commingled rate for reason(s) indicated in the LED.
(29) “Location of End Use” means the place where beverage containers or materials are physically reconstituted for purposes other than sorting, shredding, stripping, compressing, storing, landfilling, disposing, or other activities which do not result in recycling.
(29.5) “Low volume” means an average monthly volume, as defined at Section 14503.5 of the Act, which is less than the statewide average monthly volume of recycling centers in convenience zones. Average monthly volumes shall be calculated annually and shall apply during the calendar year immediately following the calculation.
(29.9) “Manufacturer of Postconsumer Recycled Plastic” means any person(s) or entity that offers for sale in the state food-grade or bottle-grade flake, pellet, sheet, fines, or other precursor forms of plastic made from postconsumer recycled material.
(30) “Material” means the physical substance used to manufacture a beverage container or food and drink package including, but not limited to, aluminum, bimetal, glass, and plastic.
(30.7) “Milk” means the lacteal secretion which is obtained from the udder of a cow or goat.
(31) “Minimum Lettering Size” is applicable to the height of all the letters in the redemption message.
(31.5) “Mobile unit” means a recycling location or locations where empty beverage containers are collected for redemption using a vehicle or receptacle that is hosted by an anchor recycling center as approved by the department under section 2047.
(32) “Nonaffiliated seller” means any person who sells scrap beverage container material types to a certified processor and is neither owned nor managed in common with such processor.
(32.4) “Notice of Denial” (NOD) means a notice sent to program participants denying requests for program payments, including handling fees, for reason(s) indicated on the notice. Handling fee notices will be sent for each denied site and will explain why the site was denied during a particular month.
(34) “Person” means an individual, corporation, operation, or other entity, regardless of its form, subject to the Act.
(34.1) “Plastic Material Reclaimer” means any person(s) or entity that collects and sells or transfers cancelled plastic beverage containers to a manufacturer of postconsumer recycled plastic in the state.
(34.2) “Post-Industrial Recycled Material” means material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process. Included as Post-Industrial Recycled Material and excluded as Postconsumer Recycled Material is reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed with the same process that generated it.
(34.3) “Postconsumer Recycled Material” means material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product which has been used for its intended use or can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes return of material from the distribution chain.
(35) “Processor” means any person, including a scrap dealer, who purchases or offers to purchase empty beverage containers from more than one recycling center or dealer cooperative in this state and is responsible for cancelling empty beverage container(s) in a manner prescribed in section 2000(a)(4).
(35.1) “Processor Invoice” means the report required in section 2425 of these regulations which the Department uses to determine payment to a certified processor.
(36) “Public Agency” means the city, county, district or other government entity which operates a curbside program or which has the authority to approve or acknowledge the operation of a curbside program.
(36.5) “Recycling Center” means those operations defined in Section 14520 of the Act and includes “Nonprofit Convenience Zone Recycler” as defined in Section 14514.7 of the Act and “Rural Region Recycler” as defined in Section 14525.5.1 of the Act.
(40) “Refund Value” means, in addition to the definition provided in Section 14524 of the Act, any amount paid by a noncertified recycler, dropoff or collection program, or community service program, or any payments received by a noncertified recycler, in excess of:
(41) “Rejected Container” means a California redemption-labeled beverage container, which a container manufacturer or beverage manufacturer elects to recycle or dispose of without paying any applicable processing fee, or which a distributor elects to recycle or dispose of without paying the redemption payment. “Rejected containers” includes container tops, lids, or other components which bear the message as required in Section 14561 of the Act.
(41.05) “Representation of Materials” means a typical collection of commingled container materials, of the same material type, representing a ratio of empty beverage containers and all other containers collected by the program and surveyed by the operator to determine an individual commingled rate for dropoff or collection, community service, or curbside programs.
(41.1) “Rural Region” means a non-urban area identified by the Division on an annual basis using Farmers Home Administration criteria. Such criteria for area include, but are not limited to, places, open country, cities, towns, or census designated places with populations less than 10,000. Areas with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 may be designated as rural unless identified as part of, or associated with, urban areas, as determined by the Department on a case by case basis.
(41.2) “Scrap”, for purposes of these regulations, is any recyclable container, including food or drink packaging material, other beverage containers, other nonredeemable containers, out-of-state beverage containers, line breakage or rejected containers, of the same material composition as redeemable containers covered by the Act.
(45) “Shrinkage” means the reduced value due to contamination of empty beverage containers by dirt, moisture, or other foreign substances.
(B) An electronic signature. An electronic signature includes an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with an electronic record, executed or adopted by a party with the intent to represent an original handwritten signature.
(45.5) “Signature” or “signed” means either of the following:
(47) “Statistical Sample” means an estimate with an 85% confidence level.
(B) A report to add any shipping report(s) to the original processor invoice for transactions that occurred within the same specific reporting period.
(47.2) “Total Net Payment”, as used in subparagraph (a)(42) of this section and section 2425, means the amount paid for the reported monthly weight after deductions (e.g., transportation service) and additions (e.g., freight allowance) pertinent to the specific sales transaction have been made. “Total net payment” includes positive, zero and negative dollar amounts, as applicable. This subsection is not intended to relieve a processor of its obligation to pay refund value, administrative and processing payments pursuant to Sections 14539(b)(3) of the Act and sections 2400 and 2430 of this chapter.
(47.3) “Urban Area” means an area identified by the Division on an annual basis using Farmers Home Administration criteria. Such criteria for area include, but are not limited to, densely settled areas of continuous residential development with minimum population of 50,000. Areas with populations less than 50,000 and greater than 10,000 may be designated as urban unless identified as part of, or associated with, rural areas, as determined by the Department on a case by case basis.
(47.5) “Vegetable juice” means one hundred percent vegetable juice as described in 21 CFR 102.33.
(47.1) “Supplemental Processor Invoice” means:
Note: Authority cited: Sections 14530.5, 14536, 14536.1, 14539, 14578.5 and 14599, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 14500, 14501, 14503, 14503.6, 14504, 14505, 14506.5, 14509.5, 14511.7, 14512, 14512.5, 14513, 14514.4.1, 14514.7, 14517, 14518, 14518.5, 14519.5, 14520, 14520.5, 14520.6, 14522.5, 14524, 14525.5.1, 14526, 14530, 14530.2, 14536, 14537, 14538, 14539, 14547, 14549.3, 14550, 14552, 14561, 14571.2, 14571.8, 14572, 14573, 14573.5, 14573.51, 14574, 14575, 14578 and 14578.5, Public Resources Code.
1. Renumbering and amendment of former sections 2120, 2500, 2550, and 2800 to section 2000, and amendment of existing section 2000 filed 6-12-91 as a change without regulatory effect pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 91, No. 46).
2. Editorial correction of printing errors in subsections (a), (a)(10), (a)(33), (a)(38) and (a)(42) (Register 92, No. 13).
3. Amendment filed 10-15-91; operative 10-15-91 pursuant to Government Code section 11346.2(d) (Register 92, No. 19).
4. Amendments of definitions for “Collection Program” and “Redeem” and new definition for “Location” filed 12-9-91; operative 1-8-92 (Register 92, No. 25).
5. New subsection (a)(34.5) filed 12-26-91 as an emergency; operative 12-26-91 (Register 92, No. 25). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL 4-24-92 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
6. Amendment filed 4-9-92 as an emergency; operative 4-9-92 (Register 92, No. 25). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 8-7-92 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
7. Repealer of emergency amendment filed 12-26-91 and reinstatement of prior text filed 9-22-92 by operation of Government Code section 11346.1(f) (Register 92, No. 40).
8. Emergency regulations filed 4-9-92 readopted 10-5-92; operative 10-5-92 (Register 92, No. 41). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL 2-2-93 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
9. Emergency regulations filed 4-9-92, including amendments: new subsections (a)(3.1)-(a)(3.1)(c), amendment of subsection (a)(35), repealer and new subsection (a)(42), amendment of Note, and new Appendix A refiled 12-21-92 as an emergency; operative 12-21-92 (Register 92, No. 52). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL 4-22-93 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
10. Amendment of subsections (a)(4)(D) and (a)(42), new subsection (a)(32.1), and amendment of Note filed 12-30-92 as an emergency; operative 12-30-92 (Register 93, No. 1). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL 4-29-93 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
11. Editorial correction of printing error (Register 93, No. 1).
12. New subsections (a)(9.5), (22.5), (27.5), (29.5) and (49) filed 3-29-93; operative 4-28-93 (Register 93, No. 14).
13. Amendment of subsections (a), (a)(5)-(a)(7), (a)(20), (a)(25), (a)(33), (a)(40) and (a)(44), repealer of subsections (a)(10)-(a)(10)(D) and subsection renumbering, new subsections (a)(11)-(a)(11)(C) filed 5-21-93; operative 5-21-93 pursuant to Government Code section 11346.2(d) (Register 93, No. 21).
14. Certificate of Compliance as to 12-21-92 order including amendments transmitted to OAL 6-18-93 and filed 7-28-93 (Register 93, No. 31).
15. New subsections (a)(2.5), (a)(27.1), (a)(36.5) and (a)(47.2) and amendment of subsection (a)(10) and Note filed 9-27-93 as an emergency; operative 9-27-93 (Register 93, No. 40). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 1-25-94 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
16. Amendment of subsection (a)(22) and Note and new subsections (a)(32.2), (a)(41.1), and (a)(47.3) filed 10-19-93; operative 10-19-93 (Register 93, No. 43).
17. New subsections (a)(2.5), (a)(27.1) and (a)(47.2) refiled 1-24-94 as an emergency, including additional amendments to subsections (a)(10) and (a)(32.2), new subsection (a)(41.05), repealer of subsection (a)(36.5) and amendment of Note; operative 2-3-94 (Register 94, No. 4). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL 6-3-94 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
18. Reinstatement of section as it existed prior to emergency amendment filed 1-24-94 by operation of Government Code section 11346.1(f) (Register 94, No. 39).
19. Amendment of section and Note filed 10-7-94; operative 10-7-94 pursuant to Government Code section 11346.2(d) (Register 94, No. 40).
20. Amendment of subsections (a) and (a)(10), new subsections (a)(2.5), (a)(27.1), (a)(27.7), (a)(41.05) and amendment of Note filed 10-27-94 as an emergency; operative 10-27-94 (Register 94, No. 43). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 2-24-95 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
21. Amendment of subsection (a)(7), new subsection (a)(7)(B) and amendment of Note filed 1-13-95 as an emergency; operative 1-13-95 (Register 95, No. 2). Pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14581.5(e)(2), a Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 7-12-95 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
22. New subsection (a)(11.1) and amendment of Note filed 2-7-95; operative 2-7-95 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 95, No. 6).
23. Certificate of Compliance as to 10-27-94 order including amendment of section transmitted to OAL 2-24-95 and filed 4-7-95 (Register 95, No. 14).
24. New subsection (a)(7)(A) refiled 7-7-95 as an emergency; operative 7-7-95 (Register 95, No. 27). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 11-4-95 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
25. Repealer of subsection (a)(7)(A) and amendment of subsection (a)(42) and Note filed 12-22-95 as an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536.1; operative 1-1-96 (Register 95, No. 51). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 7-1-96 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
26. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (a)(40)(B) and (a)(47.2) filed 12-28-95 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 95, No. 52).
27. Editorial correction of section and History 25 (Register 96, No. 10).
28. Repealer of subsection (a)(7)(A) and amendment of subsection (a)(42) and Note refiled 6-26-96 as an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536.1; operative 6-30-96 (Register 96, No. 26). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 12-27-96 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
29. Certificate of Compliance as to 6-26-96 order, including amendment of subsections (a)(2), (a)(3.1)(B)-(C), (a)(4)(B), new subsections (a)(4)(F)1. and 2. and amendment of Note, transmitted to OAL 10-22-96 and filed 12-6-96 (Register 96, No. 49).
30. New subsections (a)(27.55) and (a)(47.6) and amendment of subsection (a)(32) filed 7-24-98 as an emergency; operative 7-24-98 (Register 98, No. 30). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 1-22-99 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536.1 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
31. Editorial correction of History 30 (Register 98, No. 43).
32. Reinstatement of section as it existed prior to 7-24-98 emergency amendment by operation of Government Code section 11346.1(f) (Register 99, No. 13).
33. New subsection (a)(27.55), amendment of subsection (a)(32), new subsections (a)(42.1)-(42.2), amendment of subsection (a)(47.2), new subsections (a)(47.3) and (a)(47.5) and subsection renumbering filed 4-12-99 as an emergency; operative 4-12-99 (Register 99, No. 16). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 10-9-99 pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536.1 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
34. New subsections (a)(3.2)-(a)(3.2)(C) and amendment of Note filed 6-3-99; operative 6-3-99 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 99, No. 23).
35. Reinstatement of section as it existed prior to 4-12-99 action by operation of Government Code section 11346.1(f) (Register 99, No. 43).
36. Amendment of subsection (a)(20), new subsections (a)(27.3), (a)(30.5), (a)(30.7), (a)(32.3) and (a)(36.5), subsection renumbering, and amendment of subsection (a)(40)(B) and Note filed 1-24-2000 as an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(a); operative 1-24-2000 (Register 2000, No. 4). This regulatory action was not automatically deemed an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(b)(2) and a Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 5-23-2000 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
37. Amendment of subsection (a)(20), new subsections (a)(27.3), (a)(30.5), (a)(30.7) and (a)(36.5), subsection renumbering, and amendment of subsection (a)(40)(B) and Note refiled 4-17-2000 as an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(a); operative 4-17-2000 (Register 2000, No. 16). This regulatory action was not automatically deemed an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(b)(2) and a Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 8-15-2000 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
38. Amendment of subsection (a)(20), new subsections (a)(27.3), (a)(30.5), (a)(30.7) and (a)(36.5), subsection renumbering, and amendment of subsection (a)(40)(B) and Note refiled 8-11-2000 as an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(a); operative 8-16-2000 (Register 2000, No. 32). This regulatory action was not automatically deemed an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(b)(2) and a Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 12-14-2000 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
39. Certificate of Compliance as to 8-11-2000 order, including repealer of subsections (a)(27.3) and (a)(30.5) and repealer and new subsection (a)(30.7), transmitted to OAL 11-28-2000 and filed 1-11-2001 (Register 2001, No. 2).
40. Amendment of subsection (a)(27.7) filed 1-26-2001; operative 1-26-2001 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(c) (Register 2001, No. 4).
41. Change without regulatory effect repealing and reserving subsection (a)(19) and amending subsections (a)(37)-(38) and (a)(41) filed 4-16-2001 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2001, No. 16).
42. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (a)(4)(B), (a)(37)-(38), (a)(40)(B) and (a)(41) filed 3-29-2004 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2004, No. 14).
43. Editorial correction of subsection (a)(33) (Register 2004, No. 20).
44. Amendment of subsection (a)(10) filed 2-23-2006; operative 3-25-2006 (Register 2006, No. 8).
45. New subsections (a)(45.5)-(a)(45.5)(B)3. filed 3-4-2009; operative 4-3-2009 (Register 2009, No. 10).
46. New subsection (a)(47.5) filed 8-2-2012; operative 9-1-2012 (Register 2012, No. 31).
47. Repealer of subsection (a)(26) and amendment of Note filed 1-13-2014 as an emergency; operative 1-13-2014 (Register 2014, No. 3). Emergency amendments shall remain in effect until revised by the director of the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery pursuant to section 14599 of the Public Resources Code.
48. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (a)(18) filed 8-2-2023 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2023, No. 31).
49. New subsections (a)(3.5), (a)(24.5), (a)(29.9) and (a)(34.1)-(34.3) and amendment of Note filed 11-2-2023; operative 1-1-2024 (Register 2023, No. 44).
50. New subsections (a)(3.7)(A) and (B), amendment of subsection (a)(4)(B), new subsection (a)(4)(B)(i)-(ii), amendment of subsections (a)(4)(E)-(F) and amendment of Note filed 1-22-2024 as an emergency; operative 1-22-2024 (Register 2024, No. 4). This action is deemed an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(b) and shall remain in effect until revised by the director.
51. Amendment of subsections (a)(5), (a)(33), (a)(35), (a)(42) and (a)(44), repealer of subsection (a)(11.1) and amendment of Note filed 4-24-2025; operative 4-24-2025 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2025, No. 17).
52. New subsections (a)(2.7), (a)(3.01), (a)(3.02) and (a)(31.5) filed 8-11-2025 as an emergency; operative 8-11-2025 (Register 2025, No. 33). This action is deemed an emergency pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14536(b) and shall remain in effect until revised by the director.