Plastic recyclers form Responsible Recycling Alliance

A coalition of plastic recyclers have launched the Responsible Recycling Alliance (RRA) in opposition to AB 2236 and SB 1053, two bills pending in the California Legislature which would ban plastic film grocery bags.

RRA instead supports integrating plastic film grocery bags into the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Program created in 2022 through the passage of SB 54.  

The two pieces of identical legislation would eliminate the option to receive an unwoven plastic bag at grocery stores, eliminating the exemption of thicker plastic film bags from the state’s single-use bag ban and specifying the requirements for reusable bags and paper bags to be eligible for sale in stores. The bill could take effect in January 2026.

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Other opponents to the bills include the American Forest & Paper Association, the Association of Plastic Recyclers and The Recycling Partnership.

RRA claims the bills do not result in a more “environmentally friendly” option due to the offsets of reusable bags and recycled paper bags.

“The canvas and sewn poly-woven or nonwoven polypropylene bags are not recyclable by any known method in the U.S.,” says Roxanne Spiekerman, vice president of public affairs for PreZero US, one of RRA’s founding members.

The bill’s supporters include California Climate Action, Oceana and Zero Waste USA. According to CalMatters, other supporters include the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and Phoenix-based Republic Services.

“From production to disposal, plastic waste is detrimental to the environment and human health,” a coalition of organizations wrote in support of the bills. “Therefore, it is necessary to curb California’s plastic production as much as possible to preserve our environment and health.”

RRA’s members include Listowel, Ontario-based EFS Plastics, Delta, British Columbia-based Merlin Plastics and Jurupa Valley, California-based PreZero US.