Berkeley, CA — Earth Island Institute, on behalf of itself and its project Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), and Californians Against Waste (CAW) filed a motion to intervene in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California today, to defend California’s landmark “Truth in Environmental Labeling” Law (SB 343). On March 17, 2026, major industry groups representing packaging manufacturers filed suit against Attorney General Rob Bonta of California to challenge SB 343 (California League of Food Producers et al. v. Bonta).
CA’s “Truth in Environmental Labeling” Law was enacted in 2021 to reduce misleading recycling labeling on products and packaging—especially materials like plastics, which are not always designed to be recycled and are rarely recycled in practice. The law prohibits the use of the “chasing arrows” symbol or any other indicator that a product is recyclable, unless specific statewide recyclability criteria are met. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers must demonstrate that a product is beyond theoretically capable of being recycled, but that the material actually is collected; sorted; processed by recycling systems serving a substantial portion of California residents; and routinely becomes feedstock for new products. The overall goals of SB 343 are to provide consumers with more accurate recycling information, reduce contamination in recycling streams, hold companies accountable for misleading environmental marketing claims, and incentivize companies to make their products recyclable.
Plastic manufacturers and industry packaging groups are seeking to block the enforcement of SB 343. The Court recently issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law from coming into effect. Earth Island Institute, PPC, and CAW have filed a motion to intervene to uphold SB 343 and its implementation.
Clear and accurate labeling of consumer products and packaging reduces consumer confusion, lowers costs associated with collecting and processing unrecyclable materials in recycling programs, and helps prevent plastic pollution by ensuring companies make truthful claims about recyclability.
SB 343 will expose decades of misleading claims that plastic recycling is the solution to the plastic pollution crisis. This law is a breakthrough because it establishes guardrails for what can be labeled recyclable—not on a company’s terms, but based on reality. There should be truth in advertising. It’s critical that SB 343 be fully implemented.
— Dianna Cohen, Co-founder and Chief Vision Officer, Plastic Pollution Coalition
Consumers increasingly want to make environmentally responsible purchasing decisions. Those decisions become impossible when companies can place recycling symbols on packaging that is rarely or never recycled. SB 343 establishes objective standards to ensure environmental claims are based on evidence rather than marketing. For California, SB 343 represents a significant step forward in strengthening environmental standards, improving corporate accountability, and protecting consumers.
— Scott Hochberg, General Counsel, Earth Island Institute
This law has always been about truth-in-advertising, and consumers deserve facts, not greenwashing. Slapping a recycling symbol on unmarketable trash doesn’t make it suddenly transform it into something that has value.This law prevents companies from lying to their customers.
— Nick Lapis, Californians Against Waste
