Earlier this month, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) sent a letter to the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) that effectively delays, until June 30, 2027, a key requirement for “compostable” and “home compostable” products set to take effect next year. California’s AB 1201 required that after January 1, 2026, products labeled “compostable” or “home compostable” must not only pass test methods specified under the law but must also be “an allowable agricultural organic input under the requirements of the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program.” CalRecycle’s letter to BPI grants an extension for “products that contain synthetic substances that otherwise satisfy all requirements for lawfully being labeled ‘compostable,’ including the requirement that products meet an ASTM standard specification pursuant to section 42357(a)(1). This extension shall expire as of June 30, 2027.” Absent this action, many companies would have had to remove current “compostable” labels from their products at a time when other laws – notably SB 54, California’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law for packaging – require that products meet source reduction, recyclability, or compostability requirements by specific deadlines.
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