Environment (Recycling)

Creates the Make Polluters Pay Act. Amends the Drug Take-Back Act. Provides that any person who violates the act is liable for a civil penalty of $10,000 (rather than $7,000). Amends the Consumer Electronics Recycling Act. Provides that any person who violates the Act is liable for a civil penalty of $10,000 (rather than $7,000) Amends the Paint Stewardship Act. Provides that any person who violates the Act is liable for a civil penalty of $10,000 (rather than $7,000).

Creates the Wind Turbine Stewardship and Takeback Program Act. Provides that, on and after January 1, 2028, a wind turbine owner shall participate in a wind turbine stewardship and takeback program under which, where realistic, the wind turbine owner shall recycle wind turbine components that are not toxic after their useful life instead of disposing them in landfills. Requires wind turbine owners to file plans for the wind turbine stewardship and takeback program with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Provides that the Agency shall develop guidance for wind turbine stewardship and takeback programs established under the Act. Allows the Agency to adopt rules to implement the Act.

Creates the Household Hazardous Waste Stewardship Act. Requires that manufacturers implement a stewardship plan, beginning January 1, 2028, and establishes related prohibitions. Requires a manufacturer to establish, fund, and implement a stewardship program individually or collectively as part of a stewardship organization, with certain funding requirements. Lists other manufacturer and stewardship organization obligations and requirements. Requires each manufacturer who sells covered products in the State to register with a stewardship organization by April 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, and subsequently also with the Environmental Protection Agency. Requires stewardship organizations to post certain information on a website by January 1, 2028. Prohibits a manufacturer from selling a covered product, beginning in program year 2028, unless the manufacturer is registered and operates a stewardship program or is part of a stewardship organization. Requires stewardship organizations to jointly prepare, no later than January 1, 2027, a household hazardous waste needs assessment. Prohibits a retailer from selling a covered product unless the manufacturer is identified as a participant in a stewardship organization with an approved stewardship plan. Requires collection sites to keep certain records and provide certain data. Lists requirements and procedures for stewardship plans. Lists collection convenience standard requirements. Requires each stewardship organization to jointly submit, by June 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, a report to the Agency. Requires a stewardship organization to pay an annual fee to the Agency and lists responsibilities of the Agency. Exempts activities under the Act from antitrust laws. Allows the Agency to adopt rules. Provides civil penalties for violations. Specifies that it is a Class 4 or Class 3 felony to make a fraudulent material statement to the Agency under the Act. Allows for collection of covered products using a premium collection service. Makes findings. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Creates the Privately-Owned Carbon Capture Device Rebate Act. Establishes a rebate program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency for eligible purchasers of privately-owned carbon capture devices that use biological processes, including microalgae photosynthesis, for residential use. Lists eligibility criteria for applicants and devices. Provides rebate amounts and timelines, prioritizing low-income applicants. Requires ownership and residency conditions and sets limits on rebate frequency. Authorizes auditing and reimbursement for noncompliance. Imposes a 5% user fee on device sales to fund rebates. Creates the Privately-Owned Carbon Capture Device Rebate Fund in the State treasury and amends the State Finance Act to add the Fund. Grants rulemaking authority to the Agency and the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

Creates the Carryout Bag Reduction Act. Imposes, beginning January 1, 2027, a carryout bag fee of $0.10 on each carryout bag used by a consumer at a retail mercantile establishment. Increases the amount of the fee by $0.05 every year until the fee is $0.25 per carryout bag. Provides that the fee shall be further increased by $0.05 per year if certain goals are not met. Requires retail mercantile establishments to retain a specific amount of the fee and remit the remainder to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the Carryout Bag Fee Fund. Requires a specific amount of the fee to be deposited into the General Revenue Fund through 2030 and requires the remainder of the fee to be remitted either (i) to the county where the retail mercantile establishment is located or (ii) if a municipal joint action agency or a municipality with a population greater than 1,000,000 is located in the county, then to either the municipal joint action agency if the fee was collected from a retail mercantile establishment located within the municipal joint action agency service area or to the municipality with a population greater than 1,000,000 if the fee was collected from a retail mercantile establishment located within the municipality with a population greater than 1,000,000. Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2027, plastic bags from being used to transport goods from a retail mercantile establishment for delivery to the location of a consumer. Requires the Department to annually report certain information to the General Assembly and post that information on the Department's website. Establishes requirements for use of the revenue received from the carryout bag fee for units of local government. Exempts from the requirements of the Act bags for items purchased pursuant to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or any similar governmental food assistance program. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop certain materials. Establishes civil penalties for violations of the Act. Provides for enforcement by the Attorney General or a State's Attorney, with penalties collected by the Attorney General to be deposited into the Solid Waste Management Fund. Limits home rule powers and functions. Defines terms. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Carryout Bag Fee Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, no person may knowingly cause or allow the mixing of a photovoltaic module with municipal waste that is intended for disposal at a landfill. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, no person may knowingly cause or allow the disposal of a photovoltaic module in a sanitary landfill. Defines "consumer electronic device" and "photovoltaic module". Effective January 1, 2027.

Creates the Single-Use Plastic Bag Taxation Act. Provides that, if a retail mercantile establishment offers a single-use checkout bag to consumers, the retail mercantile establishment shall charge consumers a fee of $0.05 for each single-use checkout bag offered. Provides that all fees collected shall be retained by the retail mercantile establishment and may be used for any lawful purpose, other than providing a customer a rebate or other form of reimbursement for the fee. Provides that the fee shall not apply to recycled paper bags that are used to carry items purchased pursuant to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Women Infants, and Children program or a similar governmental food assistance program. Contains other provisions. Denies home rule powers.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that the credit against withholding that is awarded to taxpayers who are primarily engaged in the recycling and melting of steel products and in the manufacturing of new steel wire and rod products shall be 100% of the amount of withholding.

Creates the Household Hazardous Waste Stewardship Act. Requires that manufacturers implement a stewardship plan, beginning January 1, 2028, and establishes related prohibitions. Requires a manufacturer to establish, fund, and implement a stewardship program individually or collectively as part of a stewardship organization, with certain funding requirements. Lists other manufacturer and stewardship organization obligations and requirements. Requires each manufacturer who sells covered products in the State to register with a stewardship organization by April 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, and subsequently also with the Environmental Protection Agency. Requires stewardship organizations to post certain information on a website by January 1, 2028. Prohibits a manufacturer from selling a covered product, beginning in program year 2028, unless the manufacturer is registered and operates a stewardship program or is part of a stewardship organization. Requires stewardship organizations to jointly prepare, no later than January 1, 2027, a household hazardous waste needs assessment. Prohibits a retailer from selling a covered product unless the manufacturer is identified as a participant in a stewardship organization with an approved stewardship plan. Requires collection sites to keep certain records and provide certain data. Lists requirements and procedures for stewardship plans. Lists collection convenience standard requirements. Requires each stewardship organization to jointly submit, by June 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, a report to the Agency. Requires a stewardship organization to pay an annual fee to the Agency and lists responsibilities of the Agency. Exempts activities under the Act from antitrust laws. Allows the Agency to adopt rules. Provides civil penalties for violations. Specifies that it is a Class 4 or Class 3 felony to make a fraudulent material statement to the Agency under the Act. Allows for collection of covered products using a premium collection service. Makes findings. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act. Requires each county waste management plan to include a recycling program to designed to recycle or compost (rather than just recycle) municipal waste at a specified recycling rate by a certain timeline. Defines the recycling rate as 25% until January 1, 2032, and 50% beginning January 1, 2032 (rather than 15% by the end of the third year of the program and 25% by the end of the fifth year of the program). Requires the waste management plan to provide for the reduction of the total release of dioxin and mercury to the environment with the goal of their continued minimization and, if feasible, ultimate elimination from the county's municipal waste stream.