California has finalized ambitious plastic recycling regulations requiring all packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. The rules face legal challenges from environmental groups who say they don't go far enough and from manufacturers who say they go too far.
- Environmental groups NRDC and Californians Against Waste plan to sue, arguing the rules allow toxic recycling methods and exempt too many plastics. - Plastic manufacturers claim the rules will increase costs for consumers and that no substitutes exist for some packaging.
- The regulations shift responsibility from consumers to producers, who must pay fees and reduce plastic use or invest in recycling. - The rules have been revised multiple times, with exclusions narrowed to only plastics required by federal law for food safety.