California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have imposed new restrictions on recycled-content and environmental marketing claims, while signing separate measures that increase reporting, verification and financial requirements for beverage manufacturers using recycled plastic.
Newsom vetoed the Protecting Consumers Against Greenwashing Act (AB 2253) on September 27, citing potential hardships and administrative burdens the legislation could create for manufacturers.
Sponsored by Californians Against Waste and authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, AB 2253 sought to establish tighter standards for recycled-content claims on packaging, apparel and other consumer products. The legislation would have required companies to align certain claims with the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides and placed restrictions on accounting methods, including mass-balance approaches, used to substantiate recycled-content claims.
The veto represents a setback for efforts to establish broader state requirements governing how manufacturers substantiate environmental claims. It also comes as California continues to expand regulations aimed at increasing the use of recycled materials and reducing reliance on virgin plastic.
On September 18, Newsom signed SB 633 and SB 955, which amend the state’s Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act and establish new requirements for beverage manufacturers.
Under the new laws, beverage producers will be required to report imported postconsumer recycled content and obtain third-party certification for that material beginning in March 2028. The legislation also increases the penalty for the use of virgin plastic from 20 cents to 30 cents per pound and includes provisions intended to expand community take-back and recycling capacity.
The combination of the veto and the newly enacted laws creates a mixed regulatory picture for the recycling and manufacturing industries. California is continuing to push manufacturers toward greater use and documentation of recycled materials, particularly in the beverage sector, while stopping short of adopting broader requirements governing recycled-content and green marketing claims across consumer products.
For recyclers and manufacturers, the changes could increase the importance of material traceability, recycled-content verification and documentation as companies seek to substantiate claims about the recycled materials used in their products.
The developments also highlight the growing role of third-party verification in California’s recycled-content policies. As reporting and certification requirements take effect, beverage manufacturers and their suppliers will need systems capable of tracking the origin and quantity of postconsumer recycled material through the supply chain.
California’s actions come amid increasing scrutiny nationwide over environmental marketing claims and the methods companies use to calculate recycled content. While AB 2253 would have addressed those claims across a broader range of products, SB 633 and SB 955 target the beverage sector with specific requirements tied to recycled content, virgin plastic use and recycling infrastructure.
Published October 2026
