California greenwashing bill targets deceptive recycled content claims

California’s legislature has passed Assembly Bill 2253 (AB 2253), which is now awaiting the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill aims to protect consumers from deceptive environmental marketing by tightening the rules around recycled-content claims on packaging. It builds on the state's existing strict environmental advertising laws, requiring companies to substantiate any claims regarding the percentage of recycled material in their products with robust evidence.

California is widely regarded as a regulatory bellwether for environmental policy. Measures enacted there often influence federal US policy and set benchmarks for global consumer brands. By targeting misleading green claims, the bill forces brands to scrutinise their entire supply chains. It means that vague or unverified assertions of recycled content will no longer be legally viable in one of the world's largest consumer markets.

For UK packaging converters and Turkish recyclers, this legislative shift highlights the growing global intolerance for greenwashing. Turkish recyclers exporting post-consumer resins (PCR), such as rPET or rHDPE, to global brands must ensure their material certification is flawless. Similarly, UK converters exporting finished packaging to multinational markets must prepare for stricter traceability demands. As the UK and EU advance their own anti-greenwashing frameworks—such as the UK's Green Claims Code and the EU's Green Claims Directive—compliance will increasingly rely on third-party verification and transparent chain-of-custody documentation.

As a practical takeaway, businesses should proactively audit their supply chains and secure independent, internationally recognised certifications for all recycled content. Relying on self-declaration is rapidly becoming a high-risk strategy in the global marketplace.

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Reported by Recycling Today — original article