With a nudge from industry, Congress takes aim at California recycling laws

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The plastics industry is not happy with California.And it’s looking to friends in Congress to put the Golden State in its place.California has not figured out how to reduce single-use plastic.

But its efforts to do so have created a headache for the fossil fuel industry and plastic manufacturers.The two businesses are linked since most plastic is derived from oil or natural gas.In December, a Republican congressman from Texas introduced a bill designed to preempt states — in particular, California — from imposing their own truth-in-labeling or recycling laws.

The bill, called the Packaging and Claims Knowledge Act, calls for a national standard for environmental claims on packaging that companies would voluntarily adhere to.“California’s policies have slowed American commerce long enough,” Rep.

Randy Weber (R-Texas) said in a post on the social media platform X announcing the bill.“Not anymore.” Climate & Environment California has hailed itself as a leader in single-use plastic reduction and legislation.

But a scuttling of its pioneering law, and a new report on the dismal state of recycling in the state, shows things aren’t so green in the Golden State.The legislation was written for American consumers, Weber said in a press release.Its purpose is to reduce a patchwork of state recycling and composting laws that only confuse people, he said, and make it hard for them to know which products are recyclable, compostable or destined for the landfill.But it’s clear that California’s laws — such as Senate Bill 343, which requires that packaging meet certain recycling milestones in order to carry the chasing arrows recycling label — are the ones he and the industry have in mind.

“Packaging and labeling standards in the United States are increasingly influenced by state-level regulations, particularly those adopted in California,” Weber said in a...