California Packaging Recycled Content Rule Forces Shift to Physical Sourcing
California assembly bill AB 2253 ends book and claim recycled content credits forcing physical trace audits on packaging by 2030.
Mass Balance Accounting
Volume Accounting
Verification of feedstock inputs against product outputs allows for the precise tracking of material flow through a production site. Mass balance accounting provides a chain of custody mechanism that permits the mixing of certified and non-certified materials during manufacturing processes. This approach remains common in sectors dealing with commodities such as bio-based chemicals or agricultural feedstocks where physical separation of material streams presents operational challenges.
Regulations governing these flows require periodic audits to confirm that total outgoing volumes do not exceed the quantity of input units acquired.
Calculation Method
Proportional assignment of sustainability attributes follows the transformation of primary materials into secondary commodities. The methodology calculates an input-output ratio over a defined time period or within a specific facility boundary to ensure that the volume of output claimed as sustainable matches the quantity of certified input. Producers assign attributes to batches of product according to the physical properties of the input materials, ensuring that the total mass of output remains consistent with the material balance of the system.
Systems employing this logic allow for the co-processing of renewable feedstocks with fossil alternatives while maintaining integrity in the final sustainability claims.
Market Application
Industrial standards rely on this system to bridge the gap between supply chain realities and the requirements for material segregation. Tracking these movements ensures that credit systems operate with strict limitations regarding the volume of sustainable goods that enter the market. Accounting for material gains and losses during transformation steps removes the risk of double counting sustainability labels.
Reliance on these records permits stakeholders to confirm that mass balance accounting correctly documents the conversion of raw materials into marketable commodities.