Seventeen states sue California over 2024 single-use plastics ban
Seventeen US states filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against California’s landmark 2024 law banning single-use plastics by 2032, escalating a legal battle that pits state environmental policy against interstate commerce rules.
The coalition, led by Texas and including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia, argues the law violates the US Constitution’s dormant commerce clause by imposing extraterritorial production standards on packaging sold across state lines. The complaint was lodged in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento, with a first hearing scheduled for 15 September 2026.
California’s statute, SB 54, requires producers to cut single-use plastic packaging 25% by 2032 and mandates 65% recycling of all packaging by the same date. The law already faces opposition from the American Chemistry Council, which represents plastics manufacturers, and from environmental NGOs that contend the timeline is too slow. The chemicals industry argues the law will raise costs and disrupt supply chains, while green groups say the 2032 deadline allows too much continued plastic pollution.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration defended the law as a necessary step to reduce ocean waste and protect public health. “California has led on environmental protection for decades,” said state Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We will vigorously defend our right to set standards that safeguard our communities and our planet.” Bonta’s office confirmed it had received the complaint and expects to file a response by 25 July 2026.
Legal analysts note the case could reach the US Supreme Court, given its implications for state authority over environmental regulation versus federal commerce power. The lawsuit marks the largest coordinated challenge to a state environmental law in recent US history, reflecting growing tensions over plastic waste policy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity and Surfrider Foundation, have pledged to file amicus briefs supporting California. “This is not just about plastic straws or bags,” said Sarah Uhle, policy director at Surfrider. “It’s about whether states can act when the federal government fails to address a crisis that is choking our oceans and poisoning our communities.”
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⚡ NEWSCalifornia anti-plastics law faces legal challenge from 17 statesSeventeen US states are suing California over its landmark law requiring packaging producers to phase out single-use plastics by 2032. The chemicals industry opposes the measure, while environmental groups criticize it as too timid.📰 #Geopolitics #GeoWire
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