If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that packaging regulation is no longer something you can review once a year and tick off. It is live. It is evolving. And increasingly, it is operational.
California’s SB 343 Truth in Labeling law, has been paused while legal challenges are being considered in court, but when it does comes into effect, it is a perfect example of this shift. It will not simply be another regulatory update. It will fundamentally change how companies must think about recyclability claims and how those claims are evidenced across their entire packaging portfolio.
What SB 343 will mean in practice?
At its core, SB 343 will remove assumption and replace it with proof.
The law will prohibit the use of recyclability symbols such as the chasing arrows unless packaging is truly recyclable in practice and at scale.
To qualify, packaging will need to be:
- Collected through curbside systems for at least 60% of Californians
- Sorted into defined streams by at least 60% of recycling facilities
- Routinely reprocessed into new products or packaging
If it does not meet these thresholds, it will not be able to carry recyclability claims.
On top of that, SB 343 will introduce enhanced recordkeeping requirements, meaning organizations will need to be able to substantiate every claim they make. And the stakes are real. Non-compliance will potentially result in financial penalties of up to $50,000 per day per violation or legal consequences.
The real challenge: scale and complexity.
For most global brands, as the regulation takes effect, the challenge will be understanding the requirements and applying them consistently across thousands of SKUs, markets and artwork variations.
We regularly see portfolios with:
- Tens of thousands of SKUs
- Multiple packaging formats and materials
- Frequent rule changes or updates
- Distributed data sitting across different functions and systems
In one program, a client was managing more than 12,000 SKUs requiring labeling updates ahead of regulatory deadlines.
Manually reviewing recyclability, updating artwork, and ensuring compliance at this scale is simply not sustainable.
Where Aura Global makes the difference?
This is where the right partner changes everything. At Aura Global, we do not treat regulation as a standalone input. We connect it directly to packaging strategy, data, and activation.
1. Regulatory expertise that shapes strategy.
Our consulting team translates complex regulation into clear, actionable direction.
How2Recycle is widely recognized as the leading end-of-life labeling scheme in the US, giving brands a clear, standardized framework for communicating recyclability to consumers. Through Aura’s strategic partnership with How2Recycle, we connect regulatory expertise, packaging data, and e-halo automation to help clients align claims, assessments, and on-pack guidance with the expectations of the US market.
We help clients:
- Understand what SB 343 will mean for their specific portfolio
- Identify which SKUs are at risk or require change
- Build a practical roadmap to compliance that aligns with commercial timelines
This is not about reacting. It is about designing a strategy that works long term as regulations evolve.
2.Packaging data intelligence through e-halo.
Insight without data is guesswork.
Our e-halo platform enables organizations to centralize and structure their packaging data, turning regulation into something measurable and actionable.
Through e-halo, clients can:
- Set legislative rules and flag products as “at risk” or “banned”
- Assess recyclability at component and SKU level
- Align packaging to regional end-of-life systems
- Generate compliance reporting across markets
- Instantly calculate impacts such as carbon at Bill of Materials and component level
This creates a single source of truth, ensuring that decisions are based on real data, not assumptions.
3. Automated recyclability assessments.
SB 343 will require proof.
That is why e-halo supports automated evaluation of recyclability against defined criteria, allowing clients to assess their portfolio as regulations or data evolve. As rulesets change, packaging can be evaluated at scale, with updates generated across SKUs and components. This turns compliance from a one-off exercise into a live, dynamic process.
4. Seamless integration into artwork and delivery.
Understanding compliance is only half the job. Delivering it is where complexity often sits. Aura connects data directly into execution through an integrated ecosystem:
- e-halo manages packaging data and compliance logic
- e-flow enables workflow management and real-time visibility
- e-volve automates artwork updates at scale
This means:
- Artwork updates can be triggered directly from compliance insights
- Changes are applied consistently across thousands of SKUs
- Automation reduces manual error and lowers risk
- Quality checks are built into the process to ensure accuracy
In practice, this enables hundreds of artworks to be updated each week, while maintaining control and consistency.
From reactive compliance to competitive advantage.
What we are seeing with SB 343 is part of a wider shift. Regulation is no longer a barrier. It is becoming a driver of better packaging, better data, and better decisions.
The organizations that succeed will be those that:
- Treat compliance as a continuous process, not a deadline
- Invest in connected data and technology
- Integrate regulatory thinking into design, sourcing, and operations
A more confident path forward.
At Aura Global, our role is to remove the friction. We bring together regulatory insight, data intelligence, and automation so that compliance does not sit in isolation. It becomes embedded, efficient, and scalable. SB 343 may feel complex. But with the right approach, it also creates an opportunity to build stronger, more future-ready packaging systems.
Final thought.
The question is no longer “are we compliant?”
It is:
Do we have the systems, data and processes to stay compliant as regulation evolves?
That is where the real value lies.
Click here, to learn more about how e-halo can support you ahead of SB 343.
Header photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash
