A federal judge has halted California from enforcing a new recycling-label law just before it was set to take effect, interrupting the state's effort to crack down on misleading claims on packaging.
As Courthouse News reported, the pause adds more uncertainty for shoppers and recycling programs already grappling with plastic contamination and confusion over what can actually go in the bin.
What happened?
Senior U.S. District Judge William Hayes issued a preliminary injunction that keeps California's SB 343, the so-called Truth in Recycling law, from taking effect in October.
The outlet noted the request came from trade groups for food producers, grocers, retailers, and restaurant owners, which challenged the 2021 measure signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as impermissibly vague and in conflict with First Amendment protections for commercial speech.
Hayes found that four provisions lacked enough clarity to be enforced, Courthouse News said. Under SB 343, businesses could have used recyclability claims or the "chasing arrows" logo only in limited circumstances.
The package would have needed recycling access for 60% of Californians and sorting into recycling streams at facilities connected to 60% of programs across the state, while also containing no more than 100 parts per million of heavy metals or PFAS.
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Why does it matter?
Misleading labels can send plastic bags, pouches, and similar materials into curbside bins even though those items often cannot be processed and can clog recycling equipment.
Contaminated recycling loads can slow local systems, drive up processing costs, and send more waste to landfills instead of back into use.
According to Courthouse News, Hayes also said the state had not demonstrated that the measure would make recycling information clearer for consumers.
He warned that, to avoid penalties, companies could strip away even truthful guidance. The law could lead manufacturers to "forgo recyclability claims that would provide consumers with environmental information for fear of enforcement actions," Hayes wrote, per the outlet.
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What's being done?
The California Attorney General's Office said it is reviewing the decision and considering its options in the litigation, according to Courthouse News.
Groups challenging SB 343 say the injunction keeps the marketplace from being upended while their First Amendment fight plays out.
Californians for Affordable Packaging, a coalition of packaging producers, manufacturers, distributors, and other industry stakeholders opposed to the law, said the order would prevent unnecessary disruption as the case moves ahead, the outlet noted.
Still, the Attorney General's Office insisted SB 343 would improve recycling in the state.
"SB 343 protects Californians from false environmental claims related to recyclability," the office said, according to Courthouse News.
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