AB 792 (Ting) – Minimum Recycled Content

Overview: This bill would establish a time frame for minimum recycled content for plastic bottle beverage manufacturers follows:

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  • January 1, 2021 – 10% minimum content

  • January 1, 2025 – 25% minimum content

  • January 1, 2030 – 50% minimum content

 AB 792 would also set penalties for manufactures that do not meet the requirements, with the penalties increasing as the recycled content decreases.

CAW Position: Support

Status: Vetoed by Governor

“While I support strong minimum content standards, late amendments to this bill would result in costly, burdensome process that undermines the worthy intent of this legislation… I look forward to working with the legislature and stakeholders to accomplish our shared goals.”

-Gov. Gavin Newsom

Click here to read the Governors full veto message.

In Context: : In California alone, nearly 12 billion plastic bottles are sold every year. While many plastic bottles are made of recyclable content, more than 3 billion bottles are not recycled at all, and are dumped in landfills. In order to encourage efficient use of recyclable plastics, this bill sets a minimum recycled content standard in California.

According to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), California exports nearly one third of its recycled material to other countries every year. However, in 2018, China established their National Sword policy, which bans the import of recycled mixed paper and certain types of recycled plastic and imposes a stringent 0.5% contamination limit on all other recycled material imports. A significant portion of recycled plastics were shipped overseas until China established their National Sword policy. Now, California is facing an increasing crisis of recycled plastic stacking up in warehouses or going to landfills.

California has established minimum recycled content requirements for glass containers, rigid plastic packaging containers, newsprint, trash bags, and other products. However, California does not require the use of recycled content in plastic containers regulated under the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.

Many companies have already taken the initiative at closing the loop by using plastic bottles that contain 100% recycled content. Since November 2010, Naked Juice Company has been using bottles made with 100% post-consumer recycled content for all of its juices and juice smoothies. In January 2018, Evian’s manufacturer announced that it will make all its bottles from 100% recycled plastic by 2025.  

Additionally, manufacturers have made commitments to use more recycled content. Nestle Waters North America announced in 2018 that they will use 25% recycled content for plastic packaging for their product line by 2021, and has a goal of 50% by 2025. In 2018, Coca-Cola announced their goal of using 50% recycled content in all of their packaging by 2030. However, Coca-Cola in United Kingdom will use 50% recycled content in their plastic bottles by 2020, and 50% recycled content by 2025 in the European Union.

Current language, analysis, and votes

Supporters: For a full list of supporters please see the Senate Analysis here.

CAW Staff Contact: Mark Murray, Baani Behniwal, (916)443-5422