1. (a) A dealer cooperative shall operate in accordance with the information specified in the dealer cooperative's approved stewardship plan pursuant to sections 2375.4 and 2375.6 and a failure to do so is a violation of this section.
2. (b) Each dealer cooperative redemption site shall keep any material determined to be ineligible for redemption segregated from any other material intended for delivery to a certified processor.
3. (c) A dealer cooperative shall provide the department with immediate access to any stewardship program storage location or redemption site upon request of the department. A dealer cooperative, dealer member, or redemption contractor shall not store beverage container material at a residential address.

4. (d) A person who has had a certification or registration revoked under the Act or this chapter within the past five years or has ever been found to have violated section 14597 of the Act is ineligible to operate as a redemption contractor or dealer cooperative as part of a stewardship program.

   1. (2) A board member of a dealer cooperative is not required to be a dealer.

   (e)(1) In addition to redemption contractors, a dealer cooperative may contract with, consult with, or employ persons to create and implement its stewardship program, such as an accountant, accessibility coordinator, web content specialist, or stewardship plan writer.

5. (f) More than one dealer cooperative may operate in a single unserved convenience zone.

   1. (2) The operation of a dealer cooperative in an unserved convenience zone does not relieve dealers within that unserved convenience zone from complying with either section 14578(a)(1) or 14578(a)(2) of the Act.

   (g)(1) Redemption locations operating as part of a dealer cooperative's stewardship program shall not make an unserved convenience zone served, as described in section 14571(a) of the Act.

6. (h) A dealer cooperative may terminate the membership of a dealer member.
7. (i) A dealer cooperative shall notify the department electronically in writing at least six months before the dealer cooperative dissolves or ceases operation.
8. (j) A dealer cooperative is not required to accept, and shall not pay the refund value for, material that is ineligible for refund value.
9. (k) A dealer cooperative shall not refuse to redeem a beverage container on the basis that the beverage container material type or the beverage type is not sold by a dealer member of the dealer cooperative.

10. (l) A dealer cooperative shall not accept empty beverage containers from a dropoff or collection program, community service program, or curbside program.

    1. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a dealer cooperative redemption site consisting of an innovative method of redemption shall inspect containers following receipt of the containers and before payment of the refund value to the consumer.

    2. (3) A dealer cooperative is subject to sections 2501(b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g).

       1. (B) A dealer cooperative redemption site that is an innovative method of redemption shall pay within three working days of delivery the refund value for every eligible empty beverage container delivered to the redemption site for redemption.

       (n)(1)(A) Except as specified in subparagraph (B), a dealer cooperative shall pay on delivery the refund value for every eligible empty beverage container delivered to the dealer cooperative for the refund value.

    3. (2) A dealer cooperative is subject to sections 2535(c), (d), and (e).

    (m)(1) A dealer cooperative shall inspect each load of containers, subject to the Act, delivered to the dealer cooperative, for which refund value is claimed, to determine whether the load is eligible for any refund value.

11. (o) A dealer cooperative with a fully operational stewardship plan approved by the department is eligible for handling fees pursuant to section 2516(g).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 14530.5 and 14578.5, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 14578, 14578.5 and 14597, Public Resources Code.

History

1. New section filed 4-24-2025; operative 4-24-2025 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2025, No. 17).