SB 1031: Solid waste: compostable products.

Existing law prohibits a person from selling or offering for sale a product, as defined, that is labeled with the term compostable or home compostable unless, among others, the productis product is labeled in a manner that distinguishes the product from a noncompostable product upon reasonable inspection by consumers and to help enable efficient processing by solid waste processing facilities.

This bill would instead require the product to be labeled in a manner that distinguishes the product from a noncompostable product upon reasonable inspection by consumers and by solid waste processing facilities during receiving and processing and processing. The bill would require a plastic product that meets certain ASTM standard specifications regarding the compostability of plastics to be labeled with the word compostable, as specified.

Existing law prohibits a person from selling or offering for sale a product that is labeled with the term biodegradable, degradable, or decomposable, or any form of those terms, or in any way implies that the product will break down, fragment, biodegrade, or decompose in a landfill or other environment, except as provided.

This bill would additionally apply that prohibition to a product that is labeled with the term compostable except in California.

This bill would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to conduct a study evaluating the health effects of degraded compostable plastics and their additives, as provided. The bill would require the office to provide biennial status updates, which may include a compilation of the study findings into a report, and to post the final report on its internet website.