Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act

SB 54

Program News

To continue selling expanded polystyrene (EPS) food service ware in the state, EPS food service ware producers must demonstrate that all EPS meets a 25% recycling rate as of Jan. 1, 2025. To date this requirement has not been met. As a result, EPS producers are prohibited from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing EPS food service ware, like single-use takeout containers and cups, in or into California.
On Dec. 31, 2024, CalRecycle published:
- Updates to Covered Material Categories
- Source Reduction Baseline Report
On Dec. 2, 2024, CalRecycle notified the public it has begun a second 15-day comment period that ends Dec. 17, 2024, for the SB 54 permanent rulemaking.
On Nov. 4, 2024, CalRecycle released a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for public review and comment through Dec. 19, 2024.
On Oct. 25, 2024, CalRecycle notified the public that it had extended the deadline for written public comments on proposed revisions to the SB 54 permanent regulations to Nov 4, 2024, for the comment period that began Oct. 14, 2024.
On Sept. 10 and 11, 2024, CalRecycle notified entities that may be producers of expanded polystyrene (plastic foam) food service ware, and relevant industry groups, of a legal requirement deadline [PRC 42057(I)].
- To continue selling plastic foam food service ware in the state, producers must prove that all expanded polystyrene packaging and food ware meets a 25% recycling rate as of Jan. 1, 2025.
Circular Action Alliance has been approved to serve as the first Producer Responsibility Organization. (Section 42061.5 of the Public Resources Code)
- Circular Action Alliance Applicant Package

Upcoming Events

Packaging makes up over 50% of what we dump in California landfills by volume.

We must reduce packaging waste and ensure it is recycled to meet our state’s recycling and climate goals.

On June 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 54 (Allen, 2022) into law to address the impacts of single-use packaging and plastic food service ware. This landmark packaging law requires that by 2032 we:

Cut By

%

Single-use plastic:

Packaging and
Food ware

Recycle

%

Of single-use plastic:

Packaging and
Food ware

Ensure

%

Of single-use:

Packaging
Plastic food ware

Is recyclable or compostable

The law shifts the plastic pollution burden from consumers to producers by raising $5 billion from industry members over 10 years.
This will:

Cut plastic pollution and
Support disadvantaged, low-income, and rural communities hurt most by the impacts of plastic waste.

Get Email Updates About SB 54: Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act

See all CalRecycle lists and previous messages.

Californians Throw Away

290
Olympic pools worth of plastic a day

Publications

- SB 54 Report to the Legislature (December 2023)
- Covered Material Categories List (December 2024)

Producers Play a Strategic Role in Building a Truly Circular Economy

SB 54 establishes a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to manage packaging and single-use plastic food ware products across every sector of the economy.

Producers will ensure that the packaging and plastic food ware sold in California is recyclable or compostable.

EPR gives primary responsibility for managing products after their useful life to producers, who can design and market products to be more easily reused or recycled.

EPR can encourage product design changes to:

Ensure products are easily reused or recycled.
Minimize negative impacts on public health and the environment at every stage of the product’s lifecycle.

Needs Assessment

Public Resources Code Section 42067 requires CalRecycle to develop a statewide needs assessment collaboratively.

Information from this needs assessment will guide the Producer Responsibility Organization’s budget and plan detailing how California will meet the packaging and plastic pollution reduction goals of SB 54.

Explore Needs Assessment

Advisory Board

CalRecycle’s director appointed an advisory board to identify barriers and solutions to creating a circular economy and advise the producer responsibility organizations, producers, and the department in implementing this new law.

Explore Advisory Board

SB 54 Covered Material Categories List

Material regulated by SB 54 (called “covered material”) includes single-use packaging and single-use plastic food service ware [Public Resources Code Section 42061(e)].

CalRecycle must publish a list of covered material categories by July 1, 2024.

Explore CMC List