Existing law requires rigid plastic packaging containers sold or offered for sale in this state to meet specified criteria, including, but not limited to, that the container be made from 25% postconsumer material. Existing law prohibits a person, on and after January 1, 2013, from selling a plastic product that is labeled as “biodegradable,” “compostable,” “degradable,” or as otherwise specified, unless, at the time of the sale, the product meets the applicable ASTM standard specification or other specified certification requirements. These provisions are generally administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, and a city, a county, or the state may impose civil liability for a violation.
This bill would require a manufacturer or supplier making an environmental marketing claim relating to the recycled content of a plastic
food container product, as defined, to maintain certain information and documentation in support of that claim. The bill would require a manufacturer or supplier to furnish this information to any member of the public upon request or to provide the information and documentation by furnishing a link to a document on its Internet Web site. The bill would repeal these requirements on January 1, 2018.