A Pathway for Film & Flexible Packaging in California

Here is the good news: While film and flexible packaging (FFP) face compliance challenges in today’s policy landscape, there is a way forward through much-needed investments in recycling systems. Manufacturers, brands, and retailers have solutions at the ready to translate complex requirements into practical compliance pathways through the right strategies and system investments. Let’s talk about how to get there. Today, 1 in 5 Americans live in a state where extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation has been passed. Moving from rule-setting to real-life implementation is already revealing major recycling system challenges, especially for FFP. Only 2% of U.S. households can recycle FFP materials curbside, even though they account for 34% of domestic plastic packaging. EPR has expedited the urgency to address this gap as companies face potential fines and product bans. By 2032, California’s SB 54 requires that packaging covered by the law be recyclable or compostable, achieve a 65% recycling rate, and meet additional source reduction targets. This is the kind of system challenge facing FFP and other packaging that no single company, community, or policy can fix alone.

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