California companies making compostable packaging materials said their products could make a huge dent in the problem of plastic pollution but only with changes to state and federal policy.
California passed Senate Bill 54 in 2022. It requires single-use packaging and plastic foodware to be either recyclable or compostable by 2032. The issue is with a companion bill, Assembly Bill 1201, which said compostable materials must be certified organic.
John Felts, cofounder and CEO of Santa Cruz-based Cruz Foam, which makes compostable packaging foam from food waste, said the requirement is a tall order.
“The idea that all compostable packaging would have to comply, would effectively remove compostable packaging from being viable,” Felts explained. “The cost, the tracking, making a fully certified organic packaging material is nearly impossible.”
The organic requirement is set to go into effect Jan. 1, but negotiations are underway in Sacramento to delay implementation, a move also supported by the plastics industry. Environmental advocates said plastic waste is choking the planet, disrupting marine ecosystems, and endangering human health, so recycling, reusable containers and compostable packaging are key.
It is estimated 40% of plastic produced today is used to make packaging, much of which is used once.
Julia Marsh, cofounder and CEO of San Leandro-based Sway, which uses seaweed to make flexible packaging, said plastic use is only increasing.
“About 5 trillion bags, wrappers and pouches are produced every year; 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year,” Marsh pointed out. “That number is expected to triple by 2040, if production rates continue as is.”
Advocates would also like the National Organic Program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture to broaden the term “organic” to include certified compostable materials.
