California seeks organization to lead industry-run program to cut plastic and packaging waste

Application period is open through Jan. 1, 2024

Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: Oct. 11, 2023
News Release # 2023-07
Media Contact: Melanie Turner
916-341-6763 | melanie.turner@calrecycle.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO — Advancing historic reforms to cut plastic and packaging waste, California seeks an organization to help overhaul the state’s recycling system for single-use packaging and plastic food ware. CalRecycle is accepting applications until Jan. 1, 2024.

Under the state’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility law (SB 54, Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022), by 2032 a producer responsibility organization (PRO) must implement industry reforms to:

Cut By 25% single-use plastic:

Packaging and
Food ware

Recycle 65% of single-use plastic:

Packaging and
Food ware

Make 100% of all packaging and single-use plastic food ware recyclable or compostable.

The law shifts the responsibility of plastic pollution onto producers, reducing plastic waste at the source. Producers of certain single-use packaging and plastic single-use food service ware must form and join a PRO that will create a program to meet the law’s requirements. CalRecycle will oversee the program.

Producers must either join and pay into the PRO by Jan. 1, 2027, or comply with the law’s requirements on their own, paying their share of costs directly to the state.
Under SB 54, producers are required to pay $5 billion over 10 years to help cut the impacts of plastic pollution on California’s environment, prioritizing low-income, disadvantaged and rural areas.

PRO Application