New California law bans use of recycle logo on non-recyclable packages
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a bill into law that prohibits the “chasing arrows” — a symbol that tells a consumer that an item is recyclable — from being placed on an item that cannot actually be recycled.
Senate Bill 343, authored by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, prohibits the sale, distribution or import of a product or packaging that makes a deceptive or misleading claim about the recyclability of the product or packaging. The law states that the use of chasing arrows is misleading or deceptive if the product does not meet statewide recyclability criteria.
“Consumers dutifully fill their blue bins with items they believe are recyclable,which contaminate the recycling stream and make it more costly to sort and clean the truly recyclable material. The plastic resin identification coding (RIC) system, which classifies plastic types by numbers one through seven often displayed in the chasing-arrows symbol, further confuses consumers,” wrote Allen in an author’s statement accompanying a Senate floor analysis of the bill. “Most consumers simply see the chasing arrows and assume a product can be recycled.”
Allen went on to say that his bill will eliminate the confusion over what can and cannot be recycled.
The bill was supported by several organizations, including the Sierra Club California and the Surfrider Foundation.
“This will encourage producers to make sustainable packaging choices, and support companies looking for a steady supply of material to invest in recycling and reprocessing facilities in California,” a coalition of more than 70 groups said in a statement of support for the bill.
It was opposed by numerous groups, including the American Chemistry Council and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association.
“By limiting options and the innovation needed to ensure the recycling of more materials, SB 343 will cause more materials to go to landfill,” a coalition of 14 organizations said in a statement of opposition.