- Federal law sets the principle for buying recycled trash bags. States now set the numbers: New York requires at least 10% postconsumer recycled (PCR) content for most bags, California requires 75% of reportable state purchases to meet SABRC standards, and Washington buys only from producers that meet its 15% PCR minimum.
- The trend is moving from claims to proof, and the stakes are rising. California bars trash bag makers and wholesalers that fail its rules from any state contract, and Washington agencies cannot buy from producers that miss the minimum.
- Contractors and distributors can get ahead by mapping each state's rules, keeping PCR records for each SKU, and building one spec to the strictest market they serve.
- REGENPLAST helps contractors and distributors respond to these state requirements with PCR can liners and garbage bags.
The federal guideline gives buyers a wide recommended range for trash bags: 10% to 100% postconsumer content. States are narrowing that range into clear requirements.
New York is one example. Its GreenNY specification for plastic trash bags, approved on March 20, 2025, sets 10% postconsumer recycled content as a minimum for most bags. It lists 30% or more as a preferred level. Clear bags of 13 gallons or less follow a separate rule, with a 10-micron thickness cap.
California takes a broader approach. A 2014 law, AB 2675, raised the target for state agency purchasing. Since January 1, 2020, at least 75% of reportable purchases in covered categories must meet the recycled-content standards of the State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign (SABRC). Paint, antifreeze, and tires stay at 50%. State agencies report these purchases to CalRecycle each year, and this year's reports are due October 31.
Washington sets numbers in its purchasing specs as well. Black, gray, and brown LDPE can liners bought under state contracts must contain at least 10% postconsumer content. Bidders can also earn a 10% bid preference for products that exceed the applicable recycled-content level in the state's specifications.
A recycled-content number on a spec sheet is no longer enough on its own. States now ask how the number is backed up.
In California, purchases in targeted categories must include the supplier's written certification of recycled content, signed under penalty of perjury. The state can waive this when the content can be confirmed in writing by other means, such as product labels. New York's specification lists third-party certification of recycled content as a desirable attribute. Washington's purchasing guidance also names third-party verification of recycled content as a preferred attribute.
For bidders, this means the paperwork behind a can liner can decide whether it qualifies. A missing certificate can matter as much as a missing percentage point.
California goes a step further for trash bags. Under its trash bag law (Public Resources Code sections 42290 to 42297), a manufacturer generally must meet one of three compliance tests. Under the first, its regulated trash bags, meaning bags 0.70 mil or thicker sold in the state, must contain postconsumer plastic amounting to 10% or more of their weight. Under the second, postconsumer plastic must account for 30% or more of the combined weight of all plastic products it sells in California. Under the third, listed in the state's contracting manual, the bags meet ASTM D6400, the standard for compostable plastics. Check current CalRecycle guidance to confirm which test applies.
Each year, manufacturers and wholesalers certify their compliance to CalRecycle by March 1. The certification covers the previous calendar year. Wholesalers must also identify the manufacturers and wholesalers from which they bought regulated trash bags.
The penalty is sharp. A manufacturer, wholesaler, or supplier that fails these rules cannot receive or renew a state contract. This applies even if the contract is for a different product. CalRecycle publishes annual compliant and noncompliant lists by July 1. A regulated trash bag manufacturer or wholesaler that is not on either list is considered noncompliant.
Washington uses a similar gate. Since July 1, 2024, state agencies may buy plastic trash bags only from producers that meet the recycled-content minimums in the state's plastics law. For trash bags, that minimum is 15% postconsumer content today and 20% from 2027. The Department of Ecology gives the state's purchasing agency a list of compliant producer brands and updates it each year.
1. Map the standards in the states you serve
List the trash bag and can liner requirements for each state where you bid or deliver. Note the minimum, any preferred level, and any size or thickness rules. Standards differ, so one state's spec may not satisfy another's.
2. Build a document file for each SKU
For every can liner you offer to public buyers, keep the recycled-content percentage, the certificate behind it, and the bag's thickness and size. Ask suppliers for these records before a bid, not after an award.
3. Consider one spec for the strictest market
If you serve several states, a single spec built to the highest requirement can simplify sourcing. For example, a liner at 30% postconsumer content would meet New York's preferred level, California's 10% test for regulated bags, and Washington's 20% minimum for 2027. Confirm performance against each contract's specification before switching.
4. Track bid and reporting calendars
Agencies often update specifications at renewals and new solicitations. California's annual agency reporting deadline of October 31 is also a moment when agencies review recycled-content spending. On the supplier side, California trash bag makers and wholesalers certify compliance by March 1 each year. Check current specs before each bid.
Every trend above points to the same need: PCR content that is both sufficient and documented. For can liners and garbage bags, that means meeting minimums such as New York's 10%, California's 10% test for regulated bags, and Washington's 15%. It also means keeping certificates and supplier records ready for review. REGENPLAST helps buyers respond to these state requirements with can liners and garbage bags made with PCR plastic. Before a bid, confirm the PCR content against each contract's requirements.
Federal law set the direction for recycled-content purchasing decades ago. States are now setting the numbers and the proof. New York has turned the federal range into a 10% minimum for most trash bags. California pairs a 75% SABRC purchasing target with trash bag rules that can bar noncompliant suppliers from state contracts. Washington now buys trash bags only from producers that meet its recycled-content minimums. In public and institutional markets, documented recycled content is becoming a basic requirement to bid. REGENPLAST will continue to track state purchasing standards for trash bags and can liners.
Do state buy-recycled rules replace the federal requirement? No. They work alongside it. Federal rules apply to covered purchases tied to federal agencies or federal funds. State rules apply to purchases by that state's own agencies, and sometimes to the suppliers and contractors they buy from.
What does New York require for plastic trash bags? New York's GreenNY specification, approved on March 20, 2025, requires at least 10% postconsumer recycled content for most plastic trash bags and prefers 30% or more. Clear bags of 13 gallons or less must be 10 microns thick or less.
Why does California's trash bag law matter to contractors and distributors? A trash bag manufacturer, wholesaler, or supplier that fails California's recycled-content rules for trash bags cannot receive or renew state contracts, for any product. Buyers working on state contracts may therefore check whether their trash bag source appears on CalRecycle's annual compliant list.
How does Washington limit state purchases of trash bags? Since July 1, 2024, Washington state agencies may buy plastic trash bags only from producers that meet the state's recycled-content minimums. The Department of Ecology provides a yearly list of compliant producer brands for agencies to use.
[References]
New York State Office of General Services, "GreenNY: Plastic Trash Bags" → Read the Source
CalRecycle, "Waste Management for State Agencies" (SABRC requirement and reporting) → Read the Source
California Legislature, "AB 2675 (2014), enrolled bill text" (Public Contract Code section 12203) → Read the Source
California Department of General Services, "State Contracting Manual, Chapter 13: State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign" → Read the Source
CalRecycle, "Recycled-Content Trash Bag Program" → Read the Source
CalRecycle, "Compliance Lists and State Contracting" (trash bag compliant and noncompliant lists) → Read the Source
Washington State Legislature, "RCW 39.26.330 – Plastic trash bags – Recycled content" → Read the Source
Washington State Department of Ecology, "Recycled content minimums" → Read the Source
Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, "Plastic Bags" (Washington State Procurement Manual, green purchasing) → Read the Source
U.S. EPA, "Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for Non-Paper Office Products" → Read the Source