California bills under fire

The Grocery Manufacturers of America sent out an urgent appeal to its California members to urge their state legislators to vote against two pending bills in the State Senate.

One bill would change the current Rigid Plastic Packaging Container (RPPC) law by increasing the minimum post-consumer content of all RPPCs from 25% to 35%, increase the statewide all-container recycling rate from 25% to 35%, and remove the exemption for RPPCs that contain food and cosmetics. The other bill would dramatically expand the state's beverage redemption program by including more types of containers. GMA believes both bills will impose significant costs and other hardships on businesses.

Worried that the bills might prompt a move away from use of plastic recyclables, the Assn. of Post-consumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) passed a resolution urging that the bills not be crafted so that recyclable plastic containers could be replaced by unrecycled, non-conforming containers in order for packaging companies to be in compliance with state laws. It cited mixed-material aseptic cartons and gabletop cartons as examples.

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