California packaging and PFAS laws

What it would do: Expands recycled content documentation requirements from plastic food containers to all products, requiring manufacturers to maintain written records showing recycled content is based on actual physical content without credit-based accounting, and referencing FTC guidelines as they read January 1, 2026.

What it would do: Establishes requirements for expenditures from the California Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund, including prioritizing communities burdened by plastic pollution, achieving specified mitigation purposes, providing technical assistance to grant applicants, and requiring annual public reporting of all fund expenditures.

What it would do: Creates the PFAS Mitigation Fund and authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to expend grants, loans, or contracts to water suppliers and sewer system providers for treating drinking water, recycled water, stormwater, and wastewater to remove PFAS contamination.

What it would do: Prohibits distributing, selling, or offering for sale cleaning products, dental floss, juvenile products, food packaging, and ski wax containing intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2028, and cookware with intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2030, except previously used products and federally preempted products.

What it would do: Extends authorization for market development payments to plastic reclaimers and manufacturers until July 1, 2029, establishes singular PET plastic payment rates up to $300 per ton for reclaimers, and allows up to $35,000,000 annual expenditures from the Beverage Container Recycling Fund.

What it would do: Prohibits manufacturing, distributing, or selling food packaging containing intentionally added bisphenols or ortho-phthalates starting January 1, 2028, and requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to establish thresholds for unintentionally added amounts, with penalties up to $5,000 for first violations and $10,000 for subsequent violations.

What it would do: Exempts distributors from redemption payments for filled beverage containers containing water or juice that they donate to California organizations exempt from federal income taxation under IRC Section 501(c)(3), provided they maintain donation records for five years.

What it would do: Prohibits selling products labeled 'compostable' or 'home compostable' unless they have OK compost HOME certification or meet a department-adopted standard. On January 1, 2027, prohibits selling such labeled products made wholly or partially of plastic.

What it would do: Requires compostable products to be distinguishable from noncompostable products by solid waste processing facilities during receiving and processing, establishes specific labeling requirements for plastic compostable products, prohibits labeling products as "compostable except in California," and requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to study health effects of degraded compostable plastics.

What it would do: Creates a producer responsibility program requiring lubricant product producers and their packaging to fund collection and management systems through a producer responsibility organization, with CalRecycle and DTSC adopting regulations effective no earlier than January 1, 2029.

What it would do: Authorizes moneys in the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to be expended for projects addressing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water, and allows the State Water Resources Control Board to implement this through updating its policy handbook without rulemaking requirements.

What it would do: Reduces the redemption payment and refund value for wine or distilled spirits beverage containers with capacity less than 24 fluid ounces from $0.25 to $0.10, effective January 1, 2026.

What it would do: Requires certified appliance recyclers to provide compliance records to the Department of Toxic Substances Control and establishes a producer responsibility program for household appliances containing refrigerants, requiring producers to join an approved organization managing collection, recovery, and recycling of covered products.

What it would do: Creates a producer responsibility program requiring producers of lubricants and waste oil to fund collection and management systems through a producer responsibility organization, with CalRecycle and DTSC oversight, effective July 1, 2028.

What it would do: Amends the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act to require producers of plastic covered material to achieve recycling rates of at least 30 percent by January 1, 2028, 40 percent by January 1, 2030, and 65 percent by January 1, 2032.

What it would do: Requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to pay market development payments up to $30 per ton to purchasers of waste glass products containing contaminants unsuitable for beverage containers or fiberglass, using up to $5,000,000 annually until January 1, 2030, plus up to $1,000,000 annually for waste glass transportation.

What it would do: Deletes a provision allowing products to be labeled recyclable if part of a state or federal program. Requires covered materials to be recyclable only if the producer is approved by a producer responsibility organization before January 1, 2027, or complies with the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act on or after January 1, 2027.

What it would do: Authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt emergency drinking water regulations based on federal standards in effect January 19, 2025, regardless of subsequent federal amendments, and requires adoption of emergency regulations for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances by December 31, 2026.

What it would do: Beginning January 1, 2028, prohibits distributing, selling, or offering for sale covered products containing intentionally added PFAS unless federal law preempts the restriction, a currently unavoidable use determination exists, or the department issued a regulatory response under the Green Chemistry program.

What it would do: Replaces the rigid plastic container recycling program with a new program requiring manufacturers of covered plastic products to register annually, meet minimum postconsumer recycled content percentages starting January 1, 2028, and submit third-party certifications by January 1, 2029, with penalties for noncompliance.

What it would do: Requires beverage manufacturers to ensure plastic beverage containers with plastic caps have tethered caps preventing separation when removed by consumers, effective January 1, 2027, with exemptions for containers over 2 liters, beer, wine, spirits, 100% fruit juice, refillable containers, and manufacturers selling 16 million or fewer containers annually.

What it would do: Beginning January 1, 2027, prohibits distributing, selling, or offering for sale artificial turf, carpets or rugs, cleaning products, cookware, dental floss, fabric treatments, or upholstered furniture containing intentionally added PFAS. Authorizes the Department of Toxic Substances Control to designate additional consumer product categories with the same prohibition if safer alternatives are readily available at comparable costs.

What it would do: Amends California's carpet recycling laws to change civil penalties to administrative penalties, modify producer responsibility organization governance to include five nonvoting board members, expand approved collection sites, require visual product marking with producer name and materials, and change annual reporting deadlines from July 1 to September 1.

What it would do: Prohibits state agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles with less than 90% recycled plastic starting January 1, 2026, except for emergencies or Department of Corrections canteen sales. Requires state agencies to submit integrated waste management plans by July 15, 2027, and annual compliance reports.