The board shall establish a statewide public information and education program to encourage participation by the general public, business, government, and industry in all phases of integrated waste management. To the maximum extent possible, the public information and education program developed pursuant to this chapter shall be coordinated so as to not duplicate the efforts of other state agency public information programs for the promotion of source reduction, recycling, and composting. The public information and education program shall encourage participation in the board’s integrated waste management programs and in local and regional programs. The board’s program shall, at a minimum, include strategies and specific campaign activities to do all of the following:
(a) Encourage business and industry to reduce excess packaging of consumer products, to eliminate nonrecyclable contaminants from consumer goods, and to increase product durability. The board shall also promote waste handling practices which reduce waste generation by business and industry.
(b) Encourage consumers to reduce waste generation through selective purchasing and to encourage recycling at home and work.
(c) Encourage local government procurement of products containing recycled materials, integration of recycling into the community waste management infrastructure, and public participation in local waste management decisionmaking.
(d) Implement a “Buy Recycled” campaign to encourage business, industrial, and residential consumers to purchase products manufactured with, or packaged in, recycled materials. To promote the “Buy Recycled” program, the board shall develop a directory of California vendors providing recycled products and shall work to dispel myths regarding the inferiority of recycled products.
(e) Provide information to cities, counties, and regional agencies on programs implemented by the board pursuant to this section and strategies that may be pursued jointly by the board and cities, counties, and regional agencies to maximize coordination between state and local public information and education programs to reduce costs and improve efficiencies of state and local governments.
(f) Develop and disseminate to cities, counties, and regional agencies model public information materials and programs that can be used by those agencies in compliance with Sections 41220 and 41420.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1292, Sec. 57. Effective January 1, 1993.)