Environmentalists plan to sue California over single-use plastic law loopholes
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 7
Environmentalists plan to sue California over single-use plastic law loopholes
9 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · May 7
NRDC and Californians Against Waste say CalRecycle rules permit hazardous-waste-producing chemical recycling and exempt some plastic foodware days after SB 54 took effect.
Industry groups may also challenge the law, citing compliance costs and constitutionality, while critics warn producer fees could raise consumer prices if companies pass on higher disposal expenses.
Signed in 2022, the law aims for all food packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032 and shifts waste costs to producers in a state that sold 2.9 million tons of single-use plastic in 2023.
Does a 'chemical recycling' loophole turn California's ambitious anti-plastic law into a greenwashed incineration plan?
With Oregon's similar law on hold, can California's stricter plastic regulations survive the industry's constitutional challenge?
Environmental and Industry Lawsuits Challenge California’s SB 54 and SB 343 Plastic Packaging Regulations
Overview
In 2026, environmental groups sued California regulators over SB 54 rules that allow chemical recycling and broad exemptions, arguing these loopholes undermine the law's goals. This followed Governor Newsom's 2025 directive to restart rulemaking due to industry concerns about costs, which delayed implementation and influenced the flawed regulations. Meanwhile, a coalition of food industry groups filed a separate lawsuit challenging SB 343's strict recyclability labeling rules as unconstitutional. These legal battles have caused other states like Oregon to pause similar laws and prompted antitrust threats against companies in California's producer responsibility program. Together, these conflicts highlight the tension between environmental aims and industry pressures shaping plastic waste reform.