California SB 343: What “Recyclable” Labels Mean for Your Packaging

California’s SB 343, known as the “Truth in Recycling” law, changes what brands can print on packaging sold in the state. It restricts the chasing arrows symbol, the word “recyclable,” and other recycling cues to products and packaging that are actually collected and sorted for recycling across most of California.

The law was set to apply to products and packaging manufactured after October 4, 2026. That date came and went without state enforcement. On July 14, 2026, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the state from enforcing SB 343 while a First Amendment challenge proceeds.

That doesn’t mean brands can ignore it. SB 343 is still on the books, the ruling can be appealed, and misleading recyclability claims still carry legal risk under California’s other consumer protection laws. This guide explains what the law requires, how the court case changes things, and what packaging teams should do now.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your counsel about your specific packaging and claims.

What SB 343 Restricts

Under SB 343, a product displaying the chasing arrows symbol, a resin identification code inside chasing arrows, or any other symbol or statement indicating recyclability is treated as deceptive or misleading unless the product meets California’s statewide recyclability criteria. That covers:

• The chasing arrows (Mobius loop) symbol
• Look-alike triangles or circular arrows that imply recyclability
• The word “recyclable” and instructions telling consumers to recycle the item
• Resin codes inside chasing arrows

Resin codes still have a path. Packaging that doesn’t qualify can show its resin number inside a solid equilateral triangle instead of chasing arrows.

Recycled-content claims aren’t affected. SB 343 governs claims about how a package should be disposed of, not accurate statements such as “made with 50% recycled plastic.”

Documentation is required. Anyone who uses the term “recyclable,” displays the chasing arrows, or tells consumers to recycle must keep records showing the product meets the criteria.

Federal guidance isn’t a shield here. Following the FTC Green Guides is generally a defense under California’s environmental marketing law, but that safe harbor doesn’t apply to the symbols and resin codes SB 343 regulates.

How “Recyclable” Is Determined: The 60/60 Rule

A recyclability claim is only allowed if the package’s material type and form meets all three statutory criteria:

1. Collection. It’s collected by recycling programs serving at least 60% of California’s population.
2. Sorting. It’s sorted into defined streams by large-volume transfer or processing facilities serving at least 60% of recycling programs statewide.
3. Reclamation. It’s sent to a reclaimer in a way that’s consistent with the Basel Convention.

Design rules apply on top of the thresholds. SB 343 also prohibits intentionally added PFAS at or above 100 parts per million, and bars components, inks, adhesives, or labels that prevent recyclability. A corrugated box can meet the 60/60 thresholds as a material and still fail because of a wax coating or a problem label.

There’s an alternative path. A product or package can also qualify if it has a demonstrated recycling rate of at least 75%.

Where the data comes from. SB 343 directed CalRecycle to study which material types and forms California’s programs actually collect and sort. CalRecycle published its final findings on April 4, 2025, which started the 18-month clock to October 4, 2026. The study is set to be updated in 2027 and every five years after that, and brands get another 18 months to adjust labels after each update.

CalRecycle publishes the data but doesn’t approve labels or enforce the law. Each brand has to evaluate its own packaging against the findings and keep the documentation.

Which Packaging Qualifies?

CalRecycle’s study measures access to collection and sorting for each material type and form. A packaging supplier’s summary of the findings shows how wide the gap is:

For rigid plastics, metals, glass, and other formats, check CalRecycle’s study for your package’s specific material type and form rather than assuming a whole material family qualifies.

What this means in practice

• Corrugated and uncoated paper are the clear winners. These are the same materials that trade as OCC, mixed paper, and kraft grades in established commodity markets.
• Plastic film is the biggest casualty. Poly mailers, poly bags, bubble mailers, and pouches can’t carry chasing arrows in California, even where store drop-off programs accept them.
• Coatings and laminates matter. Wet-strength boxes, poly-coated cups, and foil-lined paper often fail even though they look like paper.

One point that often surprises people: business-to-business recycling markets, such as baled stretch film from distribution centers, aren’t what SB 343 measures. Clean commercial film is widely recycled. The law looks at residential curbside collection and sorting, where film performs poorly.

Enforcement, Penalties and the Court Case

Who would enforce it. CalRecycle doesn’t. Public enforcement rests with city attorneys, city prosecutors, district attorneys, and the California Attorney General. Civil penalties are $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for each violation after that. Because each noncompliant product can count as a separate violation, exposure for high-volume brands adds up quickly. Claims can also be challenged under California’s Unfair Competition Law.

The lawsuit. In March 2026, a coalition of trade associations led by the California League of Food Producers sued, arguing that SB 343 unconstitutionally restricts commercial speech and is too vague. On July 14, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California found the challengers likely to win and enjoined the state from enforcing the law. The court also criticized CalRecycle’s study for not determining whether specific products are legally recyclable and for not addressing Basel Convention compliance.

What’s happened since. According to EcoEnclose’s case timeline, the court turned away two environmental groups seeking to defend the law in September, and in October the plaintiffs expanded the case to challenge parts of SB 54, California’s packaging EPR law. A further hearing is scheduled for November 9, 2026, and the state is widely expected to appeal to the Ninth Circuit.

Why the risk hasn’t gone away

• A preliminary injunction is not a final ruling. It can be reversed, stayed, or narrowed.
• It’s less clear how the injunction affects local prosecutors or private lawsuits.
• Packaging printed today stays in the market for months or years.

How SB 343 connects to SB 54. SB 54 requires packaging sold in California to become recyclable or compostable over time, and it relies on SB 343’s criteria to decide what counts as recyclable. How the SB 343 case ends could reshape EPR compliance in California, not just labels.

What Brands Should Do Now

Most compliance advisors are recommending that brands keep preparing as if the law will return. A practical plan:

1. Inventory every recyclability claim. Check packaging artwork, labels, shipping materials, product pages, and marketing copy for chasing arrows, “recyclable,” and “please recycle” language.
2. Map each package to CalRecycle’s material types. Note the material, form, coatings, inks, adhesives, and labels for each SKU.
3. Sort SKUs into three groups: likely compliant (such as uncoated corrugated), at risk (coated paper, mixed materials), and noncompliant (most film and laminates).
4. Fix artwork on your normal reprint cycle. Moving resin codes into solid triangles and dropping unqualified “recyclable” claims from film and laminates costs little when it’s done during a planned reprint.
5. Build a substantiation file. Keep the CalRecycle data, supplier specifications, PFAS test results, and any How2Recycle or repulpability documentation behind each claim.
6. Review supplier and co-packer contracts. Many agreements assumed an October 2026 compliance date for labeling representations and indemnities.
7. Consider redesign where it pays off. Switching to a material that qualifies can make sense when it also lowers your EPR fees under SB 54.
8. Monitor the case. Watch for the outcome of the November 9 hearing, any appeal, and CalRecycle’s 2027 study update.