Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
August 09, 2022 04:03 PM

California may curb plastics in online shipping

Bridget Janis
Bridget Janis
Staff Writer
Plastics News Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Copy of PN20220815p18 Amazon warehouse-main_i.jpg
    Amazon
    California lawmakers are considering legislation that would reduce single-use plastic packaging on e-commerce shipping.

    California lawmakers are giving serious consideration to first-in-the-nation legislation that would force online retailers to reduce their single-use plastics packaging. A version of their plan passed the state Assembly in May, on a 41-26 vote, and is now making its way through the state Senate.

    The legislation currently calls for unspecified reductions in the amount of single-use plastic packaging in e-commerce by 2030. Lawmakers are trying to hash out details ahead of an August 30 deadline for a final vote in this year's legislative session.

    Supporters say the growth in online shopping prompts the legislation.

    "Plastic packaging like air pillows, bubble wrap and mailing envelopes are made of material designed to last forever but are discarded after brief use," said Ashley Blacow-Draeger, Pacific policy and communications manager at the environmental group Oceana. "This makes them particularly problematic, and most plastic packaging ends up in landfills, incinerated or polluting the environment and harming wildlife."

    The legislation is sponsored by Assembly Member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, who introduced a stricter version in 2021 that would have banned single-use plastic shipping envelopes and expanded polystyrene packaging materials starting in 2023. That proposal ended up dying on the floor of the Assembly.

    In February, Friedman reintroduced a strict version that would have banned plastic envelopes, cushioning materials and void fill in online retail shipments starting in 2024, as well as reinstating in-store recycling for plastic bags. But that bill was changed in June in the state Senate, into the current version that calls for an unspecified level of cuts in plastic packaging use by online retailers selling into the state by 2030.

    Friedman

    "We have talked to industry this week and are committing right now to taking amendments in the Senate and continuing to work in the Senate to move this bill over from being what it is now, which is a phaseout of all plastics products in shipping and instead to an aggressive source reduction bill that will work on timelines that the industry can accommodate," she said.

    "We are committed to working with industry to make sure that this is doable," Friedman said. "We don't want broken items either."

    The legislation would measure the reduction against the total weight and number of e-commerce plastic packages used in 2023.

    Friedman pointed to the explosion of web shopping, saying that online buying in the U.S. rose 44 percent from 2019 to 2021. She called online retail shipping "the low-hanging fruit of plastic."

    "Now with almost a third of the world's population buying online, the amount of plastic packaging generated is estimated to more than double by 2026," she said.

    While environmental organizations such as Oceana are supportive of the bill and its source reduction provisions, plastics groups like the American Chemistry Council argue it will damage both the industry and consumers.

    ACC said rather than pass Friedman's AB-2026 bill, the state should wait on the implementation of a large plastics producer responsibility bill that the state passed at the end of June, known as Senate Bill 54.

    "The passage of SB-54 into law precludes the need for AB-2026. SB-54, among other things, will infuse millions in new funding from producers to improve the state's recycling infrastructure, set recycling rate requirements for plastic packaging and require the producer responsibility organization to meet a 25 percent 'source reduction' requirement," said Tim Shestek, senior director of western region state affairs at ACC.

    "Additionally, SB-54 will support the creation of more robust end-use markets for recovered material, allowing for the use of an ever-increasing amount of recycled material in new packaging," he said.

    "Passing a different law specific to e-commerce packaging will hinder effective implementation of SB-54, confuse e-commerce companies on what rules to follow and ultimately hurt consumers' ability to receive packages undamaged and in a timely manner," Shestek said.

    In her comments on the Assembly floor, Friedman said she and other supporters had worked with different industry groups over the last year to convince them to drop their opposition and take a neutral position on the legislation. She said those groups include organizations representing agricultural businesses, as well as the California Grocers Association and medical device makers.

    Plastic packaging like air pillows, bubble wrap and mailing envelopes are made of material designed to last forever but are discarded after brief use. This makes them particularly problematic, and most plastic packaging ends up in landfills, incinerated or polluting the environment and harming wildlife."

    Ashley Blacow-Draeger

    Oceana

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Industry sees Biden bioplastics goal as serious signal
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Biden sets US goal to replace 90% of plastics with biomaterials
    2
    Industry sees Biden bioplastics goal as serious signal
    3
    Report urges treaty to regulate plastics like pharmaceuticals, limit growth
    4
    One injured in explosion at Ineos cumene plant in Texas
    5
    Engineering resin prices close the first quarter with a drop
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified