Germany’s new Packaging Law (VerpackG) became effective on January 1, 2019 and replaced the German Packaging Ordinance (VerpackV) . VerpackG establishes a new national authority (Zentrale Stelle), significantly increases targets for material recycling, and adds new registration and data reporting requirements.

After several unsuccessful attempts to ban single-use plastic bags, a Senate committee in Oregon voted to introduce a bill that would impose a five cent per bag tax on single-use plastic checkout bags by retailers selling food and alcohol. Collected tax monies would be deposited in a new Plastic Clean-Up and Recycling Fund.

Both the amount, by weight, of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles available for recycling and the amount of PET bottles recycled declined in 2017. However, since fewer PET bottles were available for recycling overall, the recycling rate actually increased between 2016 and 2017. These are among the finding in a report issued by the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (ARP).

The European Parliament (EP) adopted its position (i.e., amendments) on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (Draft Single-Use Plastics Directive) on October 24, 2018. (A copy of the EP’s position can be found here.)

San Francisco has banned of the sale of food service ware: that contains fluorinated chemicals, is made from polystyrene foam, and that is not either compostable or recyclable. The polystyrene foam ban takes effect on January 1, 2019, while the other bans become effective on January 1, 2020.

Germany’s new packaging law, which becomes effective on January 1, 2019, is intended to both improve recycling and prevent packaging waste. Improved recycling rates of packaging will be accomplished through significant increases in recycling targets. For example, the recycling rate for plastic packaging will increase from the current 36% to 63% by 2022. The recycling quotas for metal, glass, and paper packaging materials will be increased to 90% by 2022.

The Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 22, 2018, that a state law on solid waste disposal pre-empts local ordinances banning single-use bags. The ruling strikes down the City of Laredo’s Plastic Bag Ordinance that bans single-use plastic and paper bags. (An amendment to the Ordinance included single-use paper bags in the definition of “checkout bag.”)

Several bills to ban single-use plastic bags statewide in New York (NY) remain in committee as the end of the 2017/18 legislative session approaches. Despite the lack of progress on these bills, several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue to advocate for passage of a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags and a fee on alternative bags.

A ban on the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) single-use food and beverage containers in New York City, required under Local Law 142, will become effective on January 1, 2019. The effective date was announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio on June 13, following the dismissal of a lawsuit that blocked implementation of the ban.

The European Commission (EC) released a proposed directive on single-use plastics on May 28, 2018, as part of its transition to a more circular economy for plastics.