California's plastic bill faces challenges from federal court and GOP attorneys general

"A federal district court judge in Oregon put parts of its single-use plastic law, which is similar to California's, on hold while he decides whether it violates antitrust and consumer protection laws. At the same time, 10 Republican attorneys general sent letters directly to companies that are taking part in plastic reduction campaigns, telling them to stop."

"They threatened legal action against Costco, Unilever, Coca-Cola and 75 other companies for participating in the Plastic Pact, the Consumer Goods Forum and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. These efforts all include industry as an active partner in reducing plastics, but the letters say the companies are colluding against consumers 'to remove products from the market without considering consumer demand, product effectiveness, or the cost and impact on consumers of a replacement product.'"

"Extended Producer Responsibility laws put the cost of cleanup and waste disposal on the companies that make materials - plastic, paint or carpet - rather than on consumers and municipalities, shifting financial responsibility for environmental remediation from individual purchasers and local governments to manufacturers."

California's landmark single-use plastic law is under threat from multiple legal and political attacks. A federal court in Oregon temporarily halted parts of a similar state law while examining antitrust and consumer protection concerns. Simultaneously, ten Republican attorneys general sent letters to major companies including Costco, Unilever, and Coca-Cola, threatening legal action for participating in plastic reduction initiatives like the Plastic Pact and Sustainable Packaging Coalition. These groups allege corporate collusion to remove products without considering consumer demand or replacement costs. The challenges specifically target Extended Producer Responsibility laws, which shift cleanup and disposal costs from consumers and municipalities to manufacturers of plastic materials.

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