RRA publishes open letter to California State Senate and Assembly

The Responsible Recycling Alliance (RRA), comprised of California-based recyclers and manufacturers EFS Plastics, Merlin Plastics and PreZero US, has published an open letter to California state senators and assembly members regarding proposed bills AB 2236 and SB 1053, which would eliminate the option to receive an unwoven plastic bag at grocery stores, retail locations that include grocery and convenience stores by 2026.

In its letter, the RRA outlines its chief concerns with the twin bills as they currently are written and shares its recommendation for the best path forward to ensure sustainable plastic film recycling in California. As the process to amend AB 2236 and SB 1053 has accelerated, the RRA is encouraging state legislators to reconsider the bills since “they now have several gaps,” including the elimination of the reusable plastic film grocery bags millions of Californians use and reuse each day.

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In addition, the RRA details its belief that the state can achieve a lasting solution that simultaneously protects the environment, grocers and consumers and shares its eagerness to collaborate in that effort.

In the letter, the RRA says the bills, introduced in February by state Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and state Sens. Catherine Blakespear and Ben Allen, will result in a higher carbon footprint across the state by forcing Californians to choose from two options—canvas bags and sewn poly-woven or nonwoven polypropylene (PP) bags or paper bags—both of which carry with them “a series of challenges.”

Also, the organization writes that the bills will “confuse canvas and sewn poly-woven or nonwoven polypropylene bags that are not recyclable by any known method in the U.S. and contain zero certified postconsumer recycled content with plastic film grocery bags that are completely recyclable.”

The letter also outlines how best to achieve a sustainable solution: shift responsibility to the plastics industry for recycling reusable plastic film grocery bags by integrating them into the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Program created in 2022 by SB 54. The RRA writes that doing so will “make the enormous amount of plastic film and packaging used to keep food fresh and safe a key part of the ultimate circularity solution,” and “ensure that tons of this material stay out of landfills and instead provide the volume of plastic film necessary to make circular recycling a reality.”

The open letter can be viewed here.