April 27 - Bill Requiring Minimum Recycled Content in Plastic Moves Forward

Today, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted to pass AB 1447 (Alejo).

If enacted, CAW-sponsored AB 1447 will support increased use in California manufacturing of the more than 200,000 tons of PET plastic packaging collected for recycling in the state annually. The measure would require that PET packaging manufactured or filled in the state contain an average of 10% or more recycled content.

Minimum recycled content requirements for recyclable packaging is the proven way that California has long struck a balance between recycled material ‘supply’ and recycled material ‘demand’. California, along with several other states, have had minimum recycled content requirements in place for decades on newsprint, glass containers and non-food plastic containers.

Replacing just 1 Million lbs of virgin PET with recycled PET allows for the reduction of 2.17 Million lbs of CO2 equivalent, which is equal to removing 200 cars from the road or supplying 122 homes with electricity for one year.

"This bill makes good on the promise that when we make an effort to recycle, we’re helping to support a strong, sustainable economy right here in our state," said Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against Waste. "Instead of shipping recyclable material out of the country, where its end use is unknown, we can use those materials in our factories, creating new products and new jobs."