UPDATE! – Additional Content and Presenter Added to Agenda

Topic – Truth in Recycling Labeling

February 9, 2022

One of the hot topics in recycling in recent years has been concern about the labeling of products and packaging as recyclable when those products are not truly recyclable. That contributes significantly to problems that recycling programs have in getting residents and businesses to recycle right.

The webinar will highlight two new California Truth in Labeling laws:  SB 343 Truth in Recycling Labeling Law that will no longer allow manufacturers to put the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol on items that aren’t actually recyclable in California.  AB 1201 Labeling of Compostability and Biodegradability Law prohibits offering for sale a product that is labeled as “compostable”. “home compostable”, “biodegradable,” “degradable,” or “decomposable,” unless, at the time of sale or offering for sale, the product meets specifications or has specified certifications.

The webinar will also highlight the proposed Federal bill HR 4602: Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety Act (WIPPES Act) as another example of legislation focused on Truth in Labeling. The WIPPES Act would require manufacturers of non-flushable wet wipes to display clearly and prominently a “DO NOT FLUSH” label on their packaging. In addition, the webinar will provide a summary of consumer protection lawsuits filed in California for deceptive practices (AKA Greenwashing) regarding claims that products and packaging are recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. In addition, the webinar will provide a summary of consumer protection lawsuits filed in California for deceptive practices (AKA Greenwashing) regarding claims that products and packaging are recyclable, biodegradable or compostable.

When: Wednesday February 9, 2020 / 10 – 11am PST, 1 – 2pm EST

Webinar Presenters

Heidi Sanborn, National Stewardship Action Council
Nick Lapis, Californians Against Waste
Lori Mendez, Esq., Save the Albatross Coalition

Registration Link: https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-OhICFqAReGIJcYL6FpAIQ

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Presenter Biographies

Heidi Sanborn has been a leader in the solid waste industry for over 30 years, focused on source reduction and implementation of cost-effective projects that support a circular economy. Collaborating with local government leaders, Heidi was one of two founding codirectors of the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), a non-profit formed in 2007 to change the way waste management is funded in California. In 2015, Heidi became the Founding Director of the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC), a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that advocates for a Circular Economy using Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility.

She has engaged diverse stakeholder groups to promote product stewardship programs for pharmaceuticals, mercury thermostats, carpets, paint, fluorescent lights, batteries, and gas cylinders. Nationally, Heidi was instrumental in the adoption of EPR policies by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the US Conference of Mayors. In May 2020, Heidi was appointed by the California Environmental Protection Agency to the Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling and was elected Chair by the 17 Commissioners.

Nick Lapis is Director of Advocacy for Californians Against Waste (CAW) and has been with the organization since 2007. In that time, Nick has led CAW’s team of advocates in campaigns to pass groundbreaking laws that have positioned California as a global leader in reducing and recovering waste. By building strong coalitions, he has helped enact policies to reduce the impacts of climate change, recover organic wastes, reduce plastic pollution, and develop sustainable markets for recyclable materials. Nick also engages in policy development and research, representing CAW on a variety of boards, commissions, taskforces, and coalitions.
 

A civil litigator for over 31 years in San Diego, Ms. Lori Mendez is legal counsel to the Save the Albatross Coalition. After completing a Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation program in 2018 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and leading the transformation of that campus and U.C. San Diego to be single-use plastic-free, Ms. Mendez returned to private practice, and continues to work daily with grassroots organizations to reduce toxic single-use disposable plastic waste by implementing upstream reduction, extended producer responsibility, zero waste, and circular economy policies. Additionally, she and Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA) counsel John Moore teamed up to design and educate on effective litigation principles and strategies to hold single-use plastic producers responsible in court. Lawsuits have been filed incorporating those legal principles and strategies.