California’s Comprehensive Plastic Bans: Retail Bag Prohibition and Packaging EPR Law Implemented, Reshaping Compliance Landscape

California has launched two landmark plastic control policies in 2026, establishing a dual regulatory system of “plastic ban + extended producer responsibility (EPR)” covering from retail terminals to the entire industrial chain, which will have a profound impact on plastic packaging enterprises exporting to the US market.

2026-07-07

New National Standards for Biodegradable Plastics Officially Implemented on June 1, Regulating Labels and Degradation Indicators of Plastic Packaging Bags

Two national standards, GB/T 41010-2021 Degradation Performance and Labeling Requirements for Biodegradable Plastics and Products and GB/T 41008-2021 Biodegradable Drinking Straws, have been fully enforced across China starting June 1, 2026. The documents set unified compliance rules covering the production, sales and marketing of domestic biodegradable flexible plastic packaging bags.

2026-06-22

India Issues Plastic Waste Management (Amended) Rules 2026, New Compliance Standards Roll Out for Plastic Packaging Bag Industry

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, has officially released the Plastic Waste Management (Amended) Rules 2026. This updated regulation imposes stricter supervision on plastic packaging products, especially plastic packaging bags, and further strengthens the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, recycled material ratio requirements, product specifications and full-life-cycle traceability rules.

2026-06-08

EN 18120-7 Standard Takes Effect, Setting Technical Criteria for PPWR Compliance

EU Releases EN 18120 Standards Series, Providing Technical Basis for PPWR Recyclability Assessment of Flexible Plastic Packaging

2026-06-01