Recently, California and India have introduced strict new laws for companies that produce plastic packaging. These rules focus on 'extended producer responsibility,' which means companies are now more responsible for the waste their products create.

最近，加州與印度為生產塑膠包裝的公司引入了嚴格的新法規。這些規則聚焦於「生產者延伸責任」，意指公司現在必須對其產品產生的廢棄物承擔更多責任。

In California, a law passed in 2022 requires all packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. Companies must reduce single-use plastics and pay $5 billion to help clean up pollution. However, this law faces legal problems. A group of 17 states argues that letting a private organization collect taxes is illegal. Furthermore, environmental groups claim the rules are not strict enough and still allow toxic waste to exist.

在加州，2022年通過的一項法律要求所有包裝在2032年前必須可回收或可堆肥。公司必須減少一次性塑膠，並支付50億美元以協助清理污染。然而，這項法律面臨法律問題。一個由17個州組成的團體主張，允許私人機構徵稅是非法的。此外，環保團體聲稱這些規則不夠嚴格，且仍允許有毒廢棄物存在。

Similarly, India has introduced the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2026. These rules set mandatory targets for using recycled materials and officially recognize 'chemical recycling' as a valid way to process waste. However, there is a technical problem: targets are based on the type of packaging rather than the type of plastic. Because only one type of recycled plastic (rPET) is approved for food, companies might mix it into other plastics to meet their goals. This process can make the materials impossible to recycle in the future.

同樣地，印度引入了2026年塑膠廢棄物管理規則。這些規則為使用回收材料設定了強制性目標，並正式將「化學回收」認可為處理廢棄物的有效方式。然而，存在一個技術問題：目標是基於包裝類型而非塑膠類型。由於僅有一種回收塑膠（rPET）被允許用於食品，公司可能會將其混入其他塑膠中以達成目標。這個過程可能會導致這些材料在未來無法再次回收。

Both regions struggle to reach their goals. In California, recycling rates remain low at 5-6% because new plastic is cheaper than recycled plastic. In India, official reports say 4.1 million tonnes of plastic are produced, but independent research suggests the real number is 9.3 million tonnes because rural areas are often ignored in official data.

兩個地區都在努力達成目標。在加州，由於新塑膠比回收塑膠便宜，回收率仍維持在5-6%的低水平。在印度，官方報告指出生產了410萬噸塑膠，但獨立研究顯示實際數字為930萬噸，因為官方數據經常忽略了農村地區。

Both California and India are trying to move toward a 'circular economy,' but they still face major legal and technical challenges.

加州與印度都嘗試向「循環經濟」邁進，但仍面臨重大的法律與技術挑戰。