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Tag Archives: legislation

Experts dig into industry impact of 2024 elections

Published: September 11, 2024
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U.S. Capitol building in the distance with U.S. flag and flowers in foreground.

The 2024 U.S. elections are the subject of a four-session webinar series held by the Recycled Materials Association. | Phil-Pasquini/Shutterstock

The next occupants of Congress and the White House likely will bring changes to corporate taxes, project permits, worker protections and other industry concerns no matter who wins this year’s elections, legal experts said last week during the first of four webinars hosted by the Recycled Materials Association about the 2024 races. But uncertainty still reigns when it comes to who will win, what they’ll be able to accomplish and how states and courts will respond. Continue Reading

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California passes expanded plastic bag ban

Published: September 5, 2024
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The two identical state bills are on the desk of the governor, who just last week announced investment in 250 recycling sites across the state. | Susanne Pommer/Shutterstock

Despite advocacy from plastic film companies, California lawmakers passed two bills that ban reusable plastic bags in the state, drawing scathing reactions from the industry. Continue Reading

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Michigan lawmakers introduce EPR for packaging

Published: August 28, 2024
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Michigan's capitol building with trees and sky.

Michigan is eyeing EPR for packaging, with lawmakers recently introducing a bill that would set specific targets for recycling and reduction. | Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock

Michigan lawmakers have introduced an extended producer responsibility bill for packaging, following the successful passage of a packaging EPR bill in Minnesota.  Continue Reading

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Recycling firms unite against reusable plastic bag ban

Published: July 2, 2024
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The Responsible Recycling Alliance is calling for California lawmakers to abandon Senate Bill 1053, which would expand the state’s bag ban to prohibit reusable bags made from 40% post-consumer resin. | Huguette Roe/Shutterstock

Seeking to quash a regulatory change that would remove over 100 million pounds of North American post-consumer resin demand per year, EFS-Plastics, Merlin Plastics and PreZero US have joined together to advocate for retaining recycled-content reusable plastic bags in California’s bag regulations. Continue Reading

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Ameripen weighs in on draft federal labeling law

Published: July 2, 2024
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Sen. Jeff Merkley is working on a draft bill that would set federal parameters around recycling labels on consumer packaging, called the Truth in Labeling Act of 2024. | 9dream Studio/Shutterstock

Due to its size and tendency to be on the leading edge of environmental law, California has long been seen as the bellwether, setting policy that other states will later follow – or that producers and manufacturers take as de facto law nationwide when it comes to standards. Continue Reading

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Broad recycling legislation advances in Massachusetts

Published: June 26, 2024
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S 2830 seeks to regulate many single-use plastic products, improve recycling access and commission studies on extended producer responsibility, organics and PS. | Natalia Bratslavsky/Shutterstock

A bill that combines a half-dozen environmental actions, touching on extended producer responsibility for several materials, plastic bans and access to both bulky plastic and organics recycling, has passed the Massachusetts Senate and gone onto the House for consideration. Continue Reading

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Packaging EPR success requires a diverse coalition

Published: June 5, 2024
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Mixed plastics for sorting and recycling.

A May 28 webinar, “Coalition Building for Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Products,” shared tips and tricks for passing EPR legislation with a strong group of supporters. | Marina-Onokhina/Shutterstock

Getting extended producer responsibility legislation passed takes a strong coalition, targeted education and a lot of meetings, those involved with the process in several states said during a recent webinar. 

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Complete plastic bag ban clears California Senate

Published: May 30, 2024
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A pile of colorful plastic bags.

Senate Bill 1053 revises California’s bag ban to state that reusable bags provided at point of sale cannot be made from plastic film. | Bowonpat Sakaew/Shutterstock

A bill that expands California’s bag ban to prohibit all plastic bags – even the reusable recycled-content bags that are a major driver of post-consumer film resin sales – is working its way through the California legislative system. Reclaimers and bag producers have come out against the bill. Continue Reading

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ICIS expert’s takeaways from NPE 2024

Published: May 30, 2024
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Resin pellets spilling onto black background from tube.

Emily Friedman, a recycled plastics senior editor at ICIS, expects steady growth in U.S. mechanical recycling capacity despite a slowdown on the announcement of greenfield facilities. | Zombiemaster/Shutterstock

After attending NPE 2024, ICIS’s Emily Friedman walked away thinking that producers of durables are showing interest in recycled resins, the plastics industry needs to add its voice to policy discussions, and there’s growth on the horizon for both mechanical and chemical recycling capacity.  Continue Reading

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Minnesota EPR program advances in budget bill

Published: May 21, 2024
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Court gavel resting on books and wooden desk.

Minnesota sent an EPR bill to its governor in a budget bill. | Rawf8/Shutterstock

Minnesota is officially the fifth U.S. state to pass extended producer responsibility for packaging after adding the program language into the 2024 Environment and Natural Resources Budget, which the governor signed. Continue Reading

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