Lawsuit Filed Challenging Constitutionality of SB 343

On March 17, 2026, a number of parties filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California challenging California’s SB 343. 

As a reminder, for products and packaging manufactured after Sunday, October 4, 2026, SB 343 prohibits use of the chasing arrows symbol or other indications of recyclability on products or packaging that do not meet certain criteria. 

The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief on behalf of a number of plaintiffs and their members—including the California League of Food Producers, the American Forest & Paper Association, California Restaurant Association, the Dairy Institute of California, the Flexible Packaging Association, and the Pet Food Institute—under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The specific provisions of SB 343 that are targeted are Public Resources Code section 18015(d), which restricts use of the chasing arrows symbol around a resin identification code (RIC), and Public Resources Code section 42355.51, which restricts use of the chasing arrows symbol or other indications of recyclability on products or packaging. 

The complaint filed in California League of Food Producers, et al. v. Bonta, 3:26-cv-01675-WQH-BLM (S.D. Cal. Mar. 17, 2026) can be found here.