Recycling: fast food facilities

On February 21, 2013 the California Senate introduced senate bill SB-529, which is an act to add Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 42391) to Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, relating to recycling.

“The California Integrated Waste Management Act would prohibit a fast food facility from distributing disposable food service packaging or a single-use carryout bag to a consumer, unless the type of disposable food service packaging or single-use carryout bag meets the criteria for either compostable packaging or recyclable packaging specified in the bill”.

The bill proposes to increase packaging recovery rate requirement of 25% by 2016, 50% by 2018, and 75% by 2020.

The bill is likely to have more effect on non-recyclable fast food waste such as condiment packaging, film plastic, plastic silverware, straws and other miscellaneous plastics. That’s the stuff chain restaurants will be most worried about if this bill passes.

It may prove too costly and complex to apply statewide as recycling and composting rules vary widely. And finding certain packaging items that meet all the different standards may be tricky.

Even though the bill is just a California phenomenon now, it is expected to impact other states because large fast food chains are so ubiquitous. Read more Here

Categorised in: EPA