ARTICLE 1. Generally [41950. - 41956.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 1.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41950. Section 41950.

(a) No person, other than the authorized recycling agent of the city or county, shall remove paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, used motor oil, ferrous metal, aluminum, or other recyclable materials which have been segregated from solid waste materials and placed at a designated recycling collection location for residential curbside collection programs authorized by a city, county, or local agency for the purposes of collection and recycling. (b) No person shall be subject to an action for a violation of this section, unless the person knows, or reasonably should know, that the materials would otherwise be collected by the authorized recycling agent for residential curbside collection programs authorized by a city, county, or local agency for the purpose of recycling the materials. (c) From the time that the recyclable materials specified in subdivision (a) are placed for collection at curbside, for a residential curbside collection program authorized by a city, county, or local agency, the recyclable materials are the property of the authorized recycling agent.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41951. Section 41951.

(a) For the purposes of this section, “commercial entity” includes a multifamily residential complex. (b) Unless otherwise provided by contract, paper, glass, cardboard, plastics, used motor oil, ferrous metal, aluminum, and other recyclable materials, which have been segregated from other waste materials, and placed at the designated recycling collection location by any commercial or industrial entity, shall not be removed by anyone other than the authorized recycling agent. (c) Unless otherwise provided by contract, from the time that the recyclable materials specified in subdivision (b) are placed at the designated recycling location, the recyclable materials are the property of the authorized recycling agent.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41952. Section 41952.

Nothing in this chapter limits the right of any person to donate, sell, or otherwise dispose of his or her recyclable materials.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41953. Section 41953.

(a) In any civil action by a recycling agent against a person alleged to have violated Section 41950 or 41951, the court may either allow treble damages, as measured by the market value of the recyclable material removed, or award a civil penalty of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), whichever is greater, for each unauthorized removal, against the unauthorized person removing the recyclable material. (b) In any civil action by a recycling agent against a person alleged to have violated Section 41950 or 41951 for a second, or subsequent time, in any 12-month period, the court may either allow treble damages, as measured by the market value of the recyclable material removed, or award a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), whichever is greater, for each unauthorized removal against the unauthorized person removing the recyclable material.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41954. Section 41954.

Nothing in this article limits the authority of a local agency to adopt or enforce regulations or ordinances on the same matters of this article. However, any ordinance which imposes civil penalties shall be approved by a majority vote of the governing board which has proposed adoption of the ordinance.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41955. Section 41955.

If the value of the stolen material is more than fifty dollars ($50), but less than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), a violation of this part may be charged as either a misdemeanor or an infraction. A violation after a second conviction within a 12-month period shall be charged as a misdemeanor punishable pursuant to Section 19 of the Penal Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 41956. Section 41956.

The board may award special enforcement grants to cities or counties to support pilot programs designed to develop and evaluate enforcement techniques to reduce the theft of recyclable materials from commercial, industrial, or other nonresidential establishments.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026