Assembly Natural Resources Committee advances package of recycling, coastal conservation, wildfire and CEQA measures

The California State Assembly Natural Resources Committee met in Sacramento on Oct. 15, 2025, and debated a wide-ranging slate of bills on recycling, coastal conservation, wildfire response and land use. Committee members heard extended testimony and amendments on several measures and moved multiple bills to the next committee with votes or motions to pass as amended.

The day's most contentious policy debate centered on AB 823, a bill to restrict microplastic beads in certain personal care and cleaning products. Assemblymember (author) presented the bill as a follow-up to earlier state and federal restrictions on rinse-off microbeads and said AB 823 would extend restrictions to some non–rinse-off products to reduce plastic pollution and public-health exposure. Supporters, including the 5 Gyres Institute and Californians Against Waste, told the committee that microplastics are widespread in waterways and the human body and argued alternatives exist for many abrasive uses. Opponents, including the Personal Care Products Council and other industry groups, said the bill’s language (particularly subdivision c in the draft) was ambiguous and could unintentionally ban a broader class of microplastic ingredients for which viable substitutes may not exist today. Industry witnesses urged the committee to align definitions and exemptions with international regulatory pathways used by the European Union so manufacturers can transition to biodegradable or water-soluble alternatives.

On carpet recycling, AB 80 — offered as follow-up legislation to AB 863 — won broad support. The author and stakeholders said the measure…