The law covers a wide range of clothing but excludes carpet and mattresses, which are covered by other EPR programs in California. | Chatham172/Shutterstock
California has become the first state to approve extended producer responsibility for textiles, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation enacting the program.
Several recent California laws are set to reshape the state’s deposit return system. | kornfotocom/Shutterstock
California’s beverage redemption system is undergoing massive change based on a handful of newly enacted laws, and a recent Container Recycling Institute webinar laid out just what alterations are coming.
California’s extended producer responsibility for packaging law requires EPS food service ware and packaging to demonstrate a recycling rate of no less than 25% by Jan. 1. | Minh Mi Goi/Shutterstock
Expanded polystyrene food service ware producers have only a few months left to prove that the material has a recycling rate of at least 25% in California or face the prohibition of selling into the state.
The DRS redemption rate decreases ranged from 1% to 4%, with only two states tallying increases. | Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock
New data from the Container Recycling Institute showed falling beverage container redemption rates in most states with deposit return systems in 2023, which advocates said shows the need to modernize aging systems.
The Responsible Recycling Alliance is urging lawmakers to include reusable bags made from 40% post-consumer resin in the emerging extended producer responsibility for packaging program, SB 54. | 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
The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project is supported by the NextGen Consortium, Zero Waste Sonoma, Recology and more than 30 brands and restaurants. | Photo courtesy Closed Loop Partners
The NextGen Consortium is bringing together brands big and small to trial a city-wide reusable cup system in Petaluma, California. Continue Reading
Senate Bill 1053 revises California’s bag ban to state that reusable bags provided at point of sale cannot be made from plastic film. | jon nightingale/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.
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Coming from inside the ranks of the state agency, Zoe Heller was appointed director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery. | Rarrarorro/Shutterstock
California’s sizable waste reduction and recycling agency has a new leader in Zoe Heller, who was recently appointed director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery. Industry leaders praised her integrity, thoughtfulness and collaboration skills. Continue Reading
The California Department of Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery facilitated several meetings centered on SB 54 in early February. | ksanawo/Shutterstock
The first few days of February saw several big moments for California’s extended producer responsibility law for packaging, with a first advisory board meeting and a well-attended public question-and-answer session.
One year after California’s SB 1383 went into effect mandating organics recycling, 75% of jurisdictions report they have residential organic collection. | Jesse David Falls/Shutterstock
It’s been a year since a California law mandating organics recycling went into effect, and initial results show both high landfill diversion rates and strong market growth.