Plastic beverage containers: recycling

The law strengthens enforcement of recycled-content requirements for plastic beverage containers sold with California Redemption Value. It also makes manufacturer compliance information more transparent to the public.

What the law does ​

• Raises the annual penalty for using virgin plastic instead of required recycled plastic from 20 cents to 30 cents per pound.
• Requires beverage manufacturers, starting with reports due by March 1, 2028, to submit proof that their recycled-plastic content can be and has been validated by an approved third party.
• Requires recycled-plastic manufacturers to ensure that validations they provide are accurate.
• Requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to publish annual lists of beverage manufacturers, their brands, and their compliance status by July 1.
• Keeps recycled-content targets of 25% from 2025 through 2029 and 50% beginning in 2030, with later deadlines for certain wine and distilled-spirit boxes, bladders, and pouches.

Who it affects ​

• Beverage manufacturers selling plastic containers subject to California Redemption Value.
• Manufacturers of postconsumer recycled plastic.
• Plastic material reclaimers that collect and sell empty beverage containers.
• The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.

Context ​

Refillable containers and beverage manufacturers selling or transferring 16 million or fewer plastic containers in California in a reporting year are exempt from the recycled-content requirement.