California’s attorney general on Wednesday sent letters to top plastic bag manufacturers requesting information about their claims that the bags they produce are recyclable, the latest move by the state to scrutinize the plastics industry and their role in the global plastic pollution crisis. California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent letters to seven manufacturers of plastic bags including Novolex, Inteplast and Papier-Mettler demanding that they substantiate claims that their bags used by California retailers are recyclable. The companies were not immediately available for comment.
Reuters reported exclusively last December that a state-appointed commission alleged that big retailers were breaking California law and misleading consumers by selling plastic shopping bags bearing language and symbols that falsely suggest the bags can be recycled. The letters are the latest move by Bonta to scrutinize the petrochemical and plastics industries’ attempt to mislead the public over their recycling claims and their role in causing the global plastic pollution crisis and the state’s broader effort to phase out single-use plastics and crack down on “greenwashing.”
“Most Californians are under the impression that plastic bags are recyclable,” Bonta said in a statement. “I demand that manufacturers provide evidence to back up their claims about the recyclability of our grocery bags.” Bonta has demanded that the manufacturers produce evidence to substantiate their claims by November 16, 2022, or face potential enforcement action.