Page 37 - Plastics News November 2021

INTERNATIoNAL NEwS

California Imposes New Recycling Labeling PE, Freepoint And

Requirements And Limits PFAS Use Total Enter Recycling

Partnership In US
60% of the state and meet
other statewide recyclability
criteria will be eligible to ustainable solution provider Plastic
use the symbol. A product SEnergy has reached a strategic
or packaging is considered partnership with recycling technology
recyclable in the state if it provider Freepoint Eco-Systems and
“is of a material type and oil and gas company TotalEnergies.
form collected for recycling As part of this partnership, Plastic
by recycling programs Energy and Freepoint Eco-Systems will
for jurisdictions that develop an advanced recycling plant
collectively encompass at in Texas, US. The facility will leverage
least 60% of the population Plastic Energy’s patented technology
of the state.”Under the to transform plastic waste into a
new law, the California recycled feedstock called TACOIL,
alifornia Governor Gavin Newsom Department of Resources Recycling and which will then be converted into
Csigned a series of bills into law Recovery (CalRecycle) must conduct and high-quality polymers by TotalEnergies
that have significant implications publish a material characterization study, at its production units in Texas. The
for the food and beverage industry, on or before 1 January 2024, which will polymers will be used for manufacturing
cookware manufacturers, restaurants, determine what products or packaging food-grade packaging such as flexible
and a broader group of companies are eligible to use the “chasing arrows” and rigid food packaging containers.
that manufacture, sell, or distribute symbol. Companies will have 18 months Plastic Energy founder and CEO
products in the state. These measures after the date of the updated CalRecycle Carlos Monreal said: “We are delighted
are intended to reduce single-use plastic characterization study or until 1 January
pollution, support state recycling goals, 2024, whichever is later, to come into
and eliminate the use of perfluoroalkyl compliance with this regulation. AB 1276
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in further regulates single-use plastics in the
children’s products, food packaging, and food industry, building on California’s
cookware. Companies that manufacture, existing regulations concerning
sell, or distribute products in California single-use plastic straws.The new law
will need to determine whether they requires consumers to explicitly request
are in compliance with these new laws, disposable utensils and single serve
or if they need to make operational condiments from any “food facility,”
changes to their business before these including restaurants, food trucks, and to announce Plastic Energy’s first
laws go into effect. The legislation also any operation where food is consumed project in the US, which is a region that
authorizes responsible state agencies to on or off the premises, prohibiting the has enormous potential for the plastic-
issue new regulations implementing this food facility from simply providing them to-plastic advanced recycling market.
legislation. Companies should be tracking with every order or package.The law also Using our patented and innovative
implementation of these new laws to prohibits the bundling or packaging of technology, this new advanced recycling
ensure they remain in compliance. SB 343 single-use utensils and condiments in a plant in the US will be able to treat
makes it a criminal violation to display manner that would prevent the consumer post-consumer waste that would
a “chasing arrows” recycling symbol, from selecting the one desired. Fast food otherwise be incinerated, landfilled
or to otherwise direct a consumer to restaurants and food facilities at airports or end up polluting the environment.
recycle a product, unless the product can ask if the customer wants such Expected to be operational by mid-
or package is regularly recycled and items.Further, third-party food delivery 2024, the advanced facility will process
turned into new products.Products or services must provide the option to and convert 33,000t of post-consumer
packaging that are recyclable in at least request single-use utensils or condiments. end-of-life plastic waste a year.

36 PLASTICS NEWS NOVEMBER 2021 37 PLASTICS NEWS NOVEMBER 2021