California Finalizes Packaging EPR Regulations Under SB 54
California has finalized regulations implementing the state’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for packaging, more than a year after the governor directed CalRecycle to restart the rulemaking process over cost concerns. The final rule, approved May 1, 2026, implements California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54), passed in 2022. Despite the […]
California Bill Would Strip ‘Compostable’ Label from Plastic Products
California lawmakers are weighing legislation targeting plastics in organic waste streams, characterizing plastic as a contaminant in the composting process. Beginning January 1, 2027, Assembly Bill 1812 would prohibit the sale of products labeled with the terms “compostable” or “home compostable” that are made wholly or partially of plastic. It would also update the requirements […]
DTSC Releases Microplastics Background Document Ahead of December Workshop
This month, California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released a public background document summarizing its research on products that contain or generate microplastics. DTSC is requesting comment on the specific product categories evaluated in the document through January 16, 2026. The department will also hold a virtual workshop to receive public input on December […]
California Settles $1.75M Lawsuit Over False Plastic Bag Recycling Claims, Launches Another
California’s attorney general has reached a $1.75 million settlement with four plastic bag producers and initiated a lawsuit against three more, alleging that the companies falsely claimed their plastic bags were recyclable to comply with a state ban on single-use plastic bags known as SB 270. According to the October 17, 2025, announcement, the defendants […]
Supplemented Diet Could Make Waxworms Viable for Plastic Bioremediation
Caterpillars could play a role in breaking down plastic waste—but only if their diet includes certain supplements, according to a preprint research paper from Brandon University scientists in Canada. The study examines waxworms, the caterpillar larvae of the greater wax moth, which can eat and digest low-density polyethylene (LDPE), one of the world’s most common […]
California Governor Blocks Bill Targeting Microbeads and Glitter
A California bill that sought to expand state restrictions on the use of small plastic particles known as microbeads in consumer products was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 11, 2025. Beginning in 2029, AB 823 would have prohibited the sale of: Personal care products containing plastic glitter. Non-rinse-off personal care products that use […]
California Packaging EPR Rulemaking Resumes With Key Deadlines Ahead
On August 22, 2025, CalRecycle published proposed regulations to implement California’s SB 54, which imposes a state extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for single-use packaging and plastic food service ware. Public comments on the proposal are due October 7, 2025, the same day CalRecycle will hold a hybrid public hearing. The rulemaking is CalRecycle’s second […]
California Proposes Listing Microplastics as an SCP Candidate Chemical
California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has proposed to designate microplastics as a “candidate chemical,” a move that could lead to future regulation of products that contain or generate microplastics under the state’s Safer Consumer Products (SCP) program. Adding microplastics to the SCP candidate chemical list would not in itself create new regulatory requirements. However, […]
EPA’s PFAS Fluorination Rulemaking Survives Legal Challenge
The D.C. District Court has dismissed a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) citizen suit seeking to speed up the agency’s rulemaking on PFAS formation during plastic fluorination. The court held that an EPA request for information satisfied TSCA’s requirement that the agency “initiate…action” within 180 days to mitigate “significant risk.” The environmental groups behind Public […]
California Sues ExxonMobil for Deceptive Marketing on Plastic Recycling
ExxonMobil deceived the people of California by falsely promoting single-use plastics as sustainable, a complaint filed by California’s attorney general on September 23, 2024, alleges. The lawsuit, filed in the San Francisco County Superior Court, argues that ExxonMobil conducted a “decades-long campaign of deception” to convince the public that plastics recycling was a sustainable solution […]