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Sacramento –Building on its record of environmental leadership, California enacted the country’s first minimum recycled content standards for plastic CRV bottles. Governor Newsom today signed AB 793 by Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), requiring manufacturers to begin gradually phasing-in recycled materials when making plastic beverage containers. By 2030, the timeline ultimately reaches a 50% threshold - the highest in the world, surpassing the 30% mandate in the European Union (EU).

“At the rate we were going, plastic waste would outnumber the fish in our oceans by 2050. The Governor’s signature means the time has come for companies to step up and help us be good environmental stewards. By boosting the market for used plastics, fewer containers will end up as litter,” said Ting. 

The dwindling U.S. demand for recycled plastic has led, in part, to the tidal wave of recycling center closures in California, leaving consumers with fewer places to take their bottles and cans. At the same time, international markets are no longer interested in buying California’s recycled waste, leading to piles of recyclable plastic in our warehouses, landfills and environment. Data from CalRecycle shows that 12.7 billion CRV bottles were sold in the state last year, but 27% were not recycled – that’s 3.4 billion containers.

 AB 793’s timeline is as follows and applies to plastic drink bottles sold in California, regardless of where the containers were made:

“Assemblymember Ting and I worked extensively with the industry stakeholders to ensure that this bill is both bold and workable.  The result is the most aggressive recycled content mandate in the world for plastic bottles – 50% by 2030. Even the European Union, with its leadership on many environmental fronts, is only aiming for 30% by 2030.  I commend the Governor for signing this audacious bill,” said Irwin.

The 50 percent recycled content requirement in AB 793 is the most ambitious closed loop recycling requirement in the world. With this signing, 50 percent is now the model for other states and nations, and should be the model for all plastic packaging in California going forward,” said Mark Murray, Executive Director of the environmental group Californians Against Waste.

Other states could potentially benefit from AB 793 if companies decide they don’t want to use one formula for plastic bottles sold in California, then reconfigure production lines for the rest of the country. If that’s the case, even more sustainable containers could end up in new markets.

Some brands have already moved in this direction. Naked Juice, for instance, has been using plastic bottles made with 100% post-consumer recycled content since 2010, proving the change can be done. Nestle Waters North America and Coca-Cola have also committed to using more recycled plastic over the next few years.

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Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) released the following statement regarding the Governor’s Executive Order issued today, which includes a requirement that all new passenger vehicles sold in California must be zero emission starting January 1, 2035.

“The hazy, orange sky we woke up to earlier this month was alarming and hammered home the urgency of our climate crisis. If we want clean air, we need clean cars. 50% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from the transportation sector, much of it from the vehicles you and I drive every day. The fastest way to make the biggest dent in slowing the effects of global warming is to embrace cleaner cars. Many other countries have already committed to this goal, and I’ve been working tirelessly for years to make this transition happen in California. I applaud the Governor for putting us on a path that’s not only crucial for our planet, but also helpful in spurring green jobs as we recover from COVID-19.”

Ting first introduced AB 1745 in 2018, which would have banned the sale of new, gas-powered vehicles by 2040. He subsequently authored legislation, AB 40 in 2019, which would have developed a plan to achieve this outcome by 2040. Ting also championed $1.5 million in last year’s state budget to identify strategies for significantly reducing vehicle emissions, along with bills to increase the consumer cash-back amounts in the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project and the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Currently on the Governor’s desk is Ting’s AB 841, which requires the California Public Utilities Commission to eliminate by March its years-long backlog of applications permitting the installation of EV charging stations.

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Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) released the following statement regarding today’s State Auditor report on admission practices at the University of California.

“I am disappointed to see a world-acclaimed public institution, like the University of California, engaged in unfair admissions practices, denying spots to deserving students who lacked connections and money. Generations of young people from diverse backgrounds see UC as an opportunity for a brighter future, and the system failed them every time someone less qualified is admitted in their place. I’m committed to working on solutions next year to level the playing field, so everyone has a fair chance to get in to the college of their dreams.”

After news of “Operation Varsity Blues” broke last year, Ting and other state lawmakers led reform efforts to improve the college admissions process so that it is fair with seats available to all deserving students. AB 697 by Ting was among the proposals signed into law, requiring colleges to annually disclose to the state whether they give preferential admissions treatment to applicants with donor or alumni ties, and detail how many students were admitted under such practices.

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