In 2022, California passed SB 54, establishing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system to address plastic pollution. SB 54 sets targets for the amount of plastic produced, collected, and recycled, and places the cost of doing so onto those who make and sell the material.

Those regulations included notoriously difficult-to-recycle types of plastic packaging, like flexible plastics and films. To meet SB 54’s targets, a coalition of manufacturers has formed the US Flexible Film Initiative (USFFI). Members include General Mills, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Mars, Mondelez International, Nestlé, and PepsiCo.

USFFI began researching the challenges of recycling flexible plastics and has announced that it will soon issue Requests For Information (RFI) from Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), recyclers, and processors interested in operational funding.