The first state law in the nation focused on improving the recycled content of plastic bottles has taken us all one step closer towards our vision of zero plastic waste on Our Planet Earth!

Signed into legislation by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, CA Bill AB 793 aims to decrease single-use plastic bottles’ environmental impact by requiring specified levels of post-consumer recycled plastic content to be included in all beverage bottles covered under the California State Beverage Container Recycling program.

Under this new legislation, (see below), beverage bottles used for everything from carbonated soft drinks to bottled water sold in California must contain 15% recycled plastic by 2022, 25% by 2025, and 50% recycled plastic content by 2030.

By establishing this standard, the State of California will now implement “the most ambitious and aggressive recycled plastics content law in the world.” – Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste. The new legislation will focus on keeping plastic packaging in the closed-loop circular economy and discourage downcycling (a process in which material is re-used but for a lower purpose such as bottles downcycled into polyester carpeting, that essentially prohibits the material from being returned to its highest use state) or disposal of the plastic for uses such as incineration for energy.

This watershed regulatory requirement will increase the overall market demand for post-consumer recycled plastic content in California (including recycled PET plastic packaging that we produce), stimulate local economies through recycling job creation, and supercharge the recycling industry to continue innovating to meet the exacting packaging demands of the beverage industry.

How can you be a part of this change towards a circular economy and ensure all of your plastic packaging meets the new requirements? Partner with us!

From our flagship facility in Southern California, rPlanet Earth is the industry leader in the recycling of post-consumer PET material and in producing best in class rPET packaging products including bottle preforms and thermoform containers.

Our sole mission as an organization is to close the loop on PET packaging and provide our partners with industry-leading FDA Letter of Non-Objection recycled PET packaging products for the food, beverage, and other consumer packaged goods companies. We have the subject matter expertise, processing capabilities, feedstock availability, and production capacity to help beverage companies from regional to global in scope meet the quickly approaching AB 793 requirement implementation.

To find out more about how we can work together to help your company meet this regulatory requirement and work towards closing the loop on plastic packaging, visit our website at www.rplanetearth.com.