POLITICO Energy

Inside the California plastics deal

Episode Summary

The plastics crisis has received attention from lawmakers in state capitals across the country. But, there's a fundamental split in many states between groups arguing that industry needs to be at the table and those who don't trust it to govern itself. That‘s triggered a political battle in California, where a ballot initiative to tax plastic, ban Styrofoam and set recycling targets has scared industry enough to get them to negotiate a compromise bill. POLITICO’s Debra Khan reports.

Episode Notes

The plastics crisis has received attention from lawmakers in state capitals across the country. But, there's a fundamental split in many states between groups arguing that industry needs to be at the table and those who don't trust it to govern itself. That‘s triggered a political battle in California, where a ballot initiative to tax plastic, ban Styrofoam and set recycling targets has scared industry enough to get them to negotiate a compromise bill. POLITICO’s Debra Khan reports.

 

Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Debra Khan is the Deputy Sustainability Editor for POLITICO. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. 

Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO’s audio department.