CAW-Sponsored AB 904 (Feuer), which would require that fast food packaging be made of recyclable or compostable materials, passed Assembly Natural Resources by a 5-3 vote.
Takeout food packaging has been found to be second greatest component of litter (behind tobacco products), comprising 20-30% of all litter. Furthermore, unrecyclable food packaging is often made from materials that do not degrade in the marine environment, such as foamed polystyrene, which contribute to the state's potentially multi-billion dollar marine debris problem.
AB 904 would require the use of takeout food packaging that are compatible with a municipality's recycling or composting program and would encourage the use of products, such as paperboard, which can easily be diverted from landfills and which degrade when littered.