Prepare for Ever-Changing Recycling Laws

Protecting our planet is the environmental drive, and preparing for government guidelines and regulations in areas such as litter control, waste reduction, and reduced consumption is the financial drive. Chances are your business has heard of these, almost every state has implemented or updated a sustainability policy within the past year or two. Many laws have been passed, and many proposed bills are on the docket to be put into law.

Additionally, many states have imposed recycled content for new manufactured goods sold in the state. Recycled content mandates are a form of circular economy policy that requires certain products to contain a predetermined amount of recycled material. Governments can enforce these content mandates by imposing a tax on products that do not meet the specified standard or requiring the business to pay a penalty.

Laws are changing rapidly to meet the plastic crisis. Here are some recent examples from across the United States of new legislation.

California Recycling Laws

In California, Assembly Bill 793 demands that plastic beverage bottles in the state container deposit program consist of 15% recycled content, increasing to 25% in 2025 and 50% in 2030. Companies not complying incur fines.

SB 54, also known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, is another recent development. By 2032, the state will require certain types of packaging to be recyclable or compostable. In ten years, it will reduce plastic packaging by 25 percent and recycle 65 percent of all single-use plastic packaging.

SB 343, our last mention of California legislation for this month, includes a ban on the chasing arrows recycling symbol unless the product or packaging meets statewide recyclability criteria. This law takes effect on January 1, 2024.

“We know that to solve our plastic pollution crisis, we need to make less plastic and reuse more of the plastic we do have.” – Anja Brandon, Policy Analyst at the Ocean Conservancy

New York Recycling Laws

In New York, the Hazardous Packaging Act was updated to ban polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in paper products like cups, wrappers, pastry and pizza boxes by Dec. 31, 2022. Restaurants and stores must get compliance certification.

Washington D.C. Recycling Laws

In Washington D.C., battery producers had until Jan. 1 to join an approved stewardship program and submit plans to the District Department of Energy and Environment as part of the city’s first extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill covering both single-use and rechargeable consumer batteries.

Iowa Recycling Laws

In Iowa, their bottle bill was updated in June 2022 with a 3-cent handling fee for redemption centers, replacing the previous 1-cent fee. This change does not affect the 5-cent deposit/reimbursement.

Colorado Recycling Laws

In Colorado, the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act of 2021 imposes a 10-cent fee for paper/plastic bags at stores. This is in anticipation of a 2024 total ban on single-use plastic bags. Additionally, the Act bans single-use polystyrene food containers in 2024.

Trust iSustain to Keep You Informed, Compliant, and Profitable

We also understand that it can be difficult to keep abreast of these constantly changing policies. In both instances, iSustain can assist. We live and breathe recycling industry news and are always ensuring we are up-to-date on the latest policies, mandates, and financial incentives. Let us ensure your business is ready for minimum recycled content mandates and keep you up-to-date on the recycling information relevant to your business.

New recycled content mandates are considered to be the most advanced form of circular economy policy. They are a way to encourage businesses to use more sustainable materials in the production of their goods. By doing so, businesses can reduce waste, decrease their environmental impact, and drive innovation in the manufacturing process. However, many businesses are struggling with a limited supply of recyclable waste.

From consolidating your waste stream to collecting plastic waste and finally supplying recycled plastic waste to meet mandated recycling standards, we offer sustainable solutions for all needs. By leveraging iSustain’s experience in the waste-management sector and its access to innovative technology, you can gain an advantage over your competitors when it comes to reducing your environmental impact and meeting new legislation standards.

We take into account your industry, local context, and other relevant factors to deliver an effective and unique approach to help businesses like yours reduce their environmental footprint. Contact us today to find out how our services could make a difference to your business.