SACRAMENTO – Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) celebrated the federal court decision upholding Oregon’s right to enforce its packaging recycling law.

“This decision re-affirms the states’ authority to tackle rising costs of plastic pollution through smart, commonsense laws that hold producers accountable. While the plastics industry has been grasping at straws to maintain status quo, we have been working towards legitimate solutions that ensure producers help manage the end-of-life costs of their harmful products, providing relief for the taxpayers and local governments that have historically shouldered these financial burdens.

California’s SB 54 is built on these very principles. By requiring producers to reduce unnecessary packaging, improve recyclability, and invest in modern infrastructure, we can finally address the root causes of a broken recycling system that increases costs on Californians. Over time, these sustainability investments will improve public health and affordability for the ratepayers who have been covering these expenses for decades.

This decision reinforces that extended producer responsibility laws are both legally sound and essential to building a more sustainable, affordable future.”