On Sept. 22, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 1053, which extends the state’s plastic bag ban to cover thicker plastic bags previously considered reusable. | Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Several big recycling updates came out of the Golden State this weekend, including new policy, a lawsuit challenging ExxonMobil’s chemical recycling claims and an update about carpet recycling rates.
Policy Movement
On Sept. 22, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 1053 into law, removing an exemption to the state’s existing plastic bag ban for thicker plastic bags that had been considered reusable.
In a statement, Ocean Conservancy‘s Director of Plastics Policy Anja Brandon said that plastic grocery bags have ranked among the top 10 most commonly collected items by California Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers in seven of the last 10 years.
“Plastic grocery bags are not only one of the most common plastics polluting our beaches, but also one of the top five deadliest forms of plastic pollution to marine life,” she said. “But we have a simple solution that has been shown to reduce this type of plastic pollution: banning them.”
Environmental group Oceana also applauded the move, with Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt noting in a statement that “the new ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery store checkouts solidifies California as a leader in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis.”
“Our state and national elected leaders should continue to adopt new policies to stop plastic pollution at the source,” Leavitt added. Recycling firms opposed the expansion of the bag ban, arguing that it will remove a huge end market for PCR.
Newsom also vetoed AB 457, which would have reduced the redemption payment and refund value for wine or distilled spirit beverage containers of less than 24 fluid ounces from 25 cents to 10 cents beginning Jan. 1. It also would have allowed certain distributors and beverage manufacturers to make one annual payment of fees to the state.
In a veto message, he stated that lowering the refund value would undermine SB 1013, which “created a market signal incentivizing the industry to either stimulate development and create recycling pathways.”
“Lowering the CRV for these materials, as proposed by this bill, would disrupt this market signal, create confusion for recyclers, and likely result in consumers paying a higher CRV than they will be able to redeem,” he added. “For this reason, I cannot sign this bill.”
However, he added that he does think the state should “do more to encourage participation from small beverage manufacturers in the BCRP, and am thereby directing the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to incorporate similar reporting flexibility in the SB 1013 regulations currently under development.”
There are several other recycling-related bills still on Newsom’s desk. He has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto them.
Published: September 25, 2024Updated: September 25, 2024by Marissa Heffernan
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