(a) (1) Every processor shall report to the department for each month the amount of empty beverage containers, by material type and weight of container or material, excluding refillable beverage containers, received from recycling centers and curbside programs for recycling, and the scrap value paid for glass, PET, and bimetal containers and any beverage container that is assessed a processing fee. Every processor shall also report to the department for each month the amount of other postfilled aluminum, glass, and plastic food and drink packaging materials sold filled to consumers in this state and returned for recycling. These reports shall be submitted within 10 days after each month, in the form and manner that the department may prescribe.

(2) The department shall treat all information reported pursuant to this section by a processor as commercial or financial information subject to the procedures established pursuant to Section 14554.

(b) Every distributor who sells or offers for sale in this state beverages in aluminum beverage containers, nonaluminum metal beverage containers, glass beverage containers, plastic beverage containers, or other beverage containers, including refillable beverage containers of these types, shall report to the department for each month the number of beverages sold in these beverage containers in this state which are labeled pursuant to Section 14561, by material type and size and weight of container or any other method as the department may prescribe. These reports shall be submitted by the day when payment is due, consistent with the applicable payment schedule specified in subdivision (a) of Section 14574, in the form and manner which the department may prescribe.

(c) Every distributor who sells or offers for sale in this state beverages in refillable beverage containers and who pays a refund value to distributors, dealers, or consumers who return these containers for refilling, shall report to the department for each month the number of these beverage containers returned empty to be refilled, by material type and size of container or any other method which the department may prescribe. These reports shall be submitted by the day when payment is due, consistent with the schedule specified in subdivision (a) of Section 14574, in the form and manner which the department may prescribe.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a distributor who elects to make an annual payment pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 14574 may, upon the approval of the department, submit the reports required by this section annually to the department. The reports shall accompany the annual payment submitted pursuant to Section 14574.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 817, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2000.)