Traditionally, recyclable claims — and the ability to carry the “chasing arrows” icon on packaging — followed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Green Guides, which bases the claim on the percentage of households across the country that are able to recycle the product. Cartons have met the 60% threshold set by the Green Guides since 2017 — meaning they could be labeled as widely recyclable nationwide.

However, the Green Guides are not binding and do not pre-empt state laws. So, when California passed Senate Bill 343, it raised the threshold in the state, effective Oct. 4, 2026. The methodology used included both access to recycling for households as well as material recovery facilities (MRF) sortation, and cartons initially fell short of the requirements. Cartons have still been permitted to carry the recyclable label to this point, but the threat of losing that designation due to the new legislation has loomed large since its passing.

On June 24, the California Dept. of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) updated the SB 343 Final Findings Report and confirmed food and beverage cartons are now sorted for recycling by large-volume transfer and processing facilities serving 62% of California counties. As such, these cartons will be able to continue displaying the recyclable claim after the bill takes effect, with no lapse in California or anywhere else in the U.S.

CalRecycle’s update includes three newly verified sortation facilities, bringing the total number of counties served in the state to 21. It’s a milestone that Jordan Fengel, president of the Carton Council, called the result of continued collaboration across the recycling value chain.

“We appreciate the facilities that have invested with us in carton sortation, the communities that include cartons in their recycling programs, and CalRecycle’s careful review of all available data,” he added.