California Code, Public Resources Code - PRC § 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.