Two California bills related to plastics in compostables are not advancing after failing to clear a key appropriations deadline last week.
AB 1812 would have prohibited the sale of “compostable” or “home compostable” products that are made entirely or partially of plastic. It passed the Assembly by a 64-1 vote this spring before being sent to the Senate. The bill’s backers as of May included the California Compost Coalition as well as haulers and composters such as WM, Recology, Republic Services and Waste Connections. But it was also opposed by BPI, Californians Against Waste and others.
SB 1031 previously passed the Senate by a 29-9 vote and was ordered to the Assembly. It aimed to tighten labeling practices for compostables to better distinguish them from noncompostable products, and study the potential health impacts of degraded compostable plastics and related chemical additives. As of May, supporters included Californians Against Waste and the California Compost Coalition. Opposition came from BPI, Atlantic Packaging, Nature Works and others.
BPI argued that these legislative proposals were shaped by “incomplete evidence, entrenched interests, and narratives that do not reflect the full ecosystem.”
“This is a significant win for compostable products and for compost quality,” said Ismat Yassin, senior government affairs manager at BPI, in an emailed statement. “AB 1812 and SB 1031 not advancing this session benefits composters, communities, consumers and the environment nationwide.”
“California still has significant work to do” to follow through with goals laid out in packaging extended producer responsibility and source reduction law SB 54 and organics diversion mandate SB 1383, Yassin noted.
BPI Executive Director Rhodes Yepsen described the downfall of those two bills as “a major, but short-term, accomplishment in California.” With the bills behind them, BPI can now refocus on its original goal: addressing barriers posed by existing California law AB 1201.
BPI has been campaigning to “fix AB 1201,” a law pushed back to take effect June 30, 2027. That law stipulated a product labeled “compostable” must be allowed in compost as approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program.
BPI still has a pending extension request with CalRecycle. The agency is authorized to extend AB 1201’s start date by up to five years. So far, CalRecycle has only activated 18 months of that. While it’s unclear when CalRecycle might address BPI’s request, Yepsen said that process had been complicated by activity around the two bills. “And so now that those are no longer active, we're hoping that this bodes well,” he said.
BPI is confident it has met the criteria for gaining further extension – particularly in light of the USDA signaling plans for rulemaking that would potentially lead to updating regulations for compost used in organic agriculture, Yepsen noted. That process would take years to resolve. Yepsen partly credited that advancement at USDA to engagement with Senate and House agriculture committees earlier this year.
