Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act Advisory Board

Membership

The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54, Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022) requires the Director of CalRecycle to appoint a producer responsibility advisory board by July 1, 2023.

The purpose of the advisory board is to identify barriers and solutions to creating a circular economy and to advise the department, producers, and producer responsibility organizations on implementation of this new law.

The Board has 13 Voting Members and 3 Nonvoting Members, consisting of representatives of local government, environmental and environmental justice organizations, manufacturers, recycling and solid waste enterprises, and retail and grocery associations. 

Voting Members (13)

  • 1 representative nominated by a statewide city association*
  • 1 representative nominated by a statewide rural county association*
  • 1 representative from a disadvantaged or low-income community or rural area
  • 1 representative from an environmental protection organization
  • 1 representative from an ocean advocacy organization
  • 1 representative from an environmental justice organization
  • 1 representative of a material recovery facility in California
  • 1 representative of a recycling service provider or association of service providers
  • 1 representative from the composting industry in California
  • 4 representatives from manufacturers that produce single-use packaging/single-use plastic food ware containing postconsumer recycled content or a producer of third-party certified compostable products; members must not be members of the board of the Producer Responsibility Organization

Nonvoting Members (3)

  • 1 representative nominated by a statewide retail association*
  • 1 representative nominated by a statewide grocery association*
  • 1 representative from a Producer Responsibility Organization

* Requires nomination by respective association.

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Advisory Board Members

CalRecycle received applications from a diverse group of candidates, and we appreciate the commitment of all applicants to engage in this process.

Whether or not selected, CalRecycle encourages all interested parties to continue their engagement by participating in regulatory workshops and information sessions, attending advisory board meetings, and submitting comments to the Department.

Thank you to all who applied, and please join us in welcoming the following representatives to the inaugural Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Advisory Board: 

  • Nominated by a statewide city association – Timothy Burroughs, Executive Director of StopWaste
  • Nominated by a statewide rural county association – Tedd Ward, Director of Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority
  • From an environmental protection agency – Doug Kobold, Executive Director of the California Product Stewardship Council
  • From an ocean advocacy organization – Miho Ligare, Plast Pollution Policy Manager of Surfrider Foundation
  • From an environmental justice organization – Thomas A. Helme, Co-Founder & Project Director of Valley Improvement Projects
  • From a disadvantaged or low-income community or rural area – Fred Briones, Chief Executive Officer of Native American Fiber Program
  • Of a materials recovery facility located within the State of California – Christy Pestoni, Director of Government Affairs of Waste Connections
  • Of a recycling service provide or an association of recycling providers – Veronica Pardo, Regulatory Affairs Director of Resource Recovery Coalition of California
  • From a composting industry operating in the State of California – Neil S. Edgar, Executive Director of California Compost Coalition
  • Of a manufacturer that produces third-party certified compostable covered material – Erin Levine, Resource Recovery Manager-West of World Centric
  • Of a manufacturer of covered materials – Patrick Keenan, Associate Packaging Principal Engineer of General Mills
  • Of a manufacturer of covered materials – Wes Carter, President & Co-Founder of Atlantic Packaging Corp
  • Of a manufacturer of covered materials – Ajit Perera, Vice President of Post Consumer Operations of Talco Plastics, Inc.
  • Nominated by a statewide association representing the retail sector – Rachel Michelin, President & Chief Executive Officer of the California Retailers Association
  • Nominated by a statewide association represent the grocery sector – Timothy James, Director of Local Government Relations of the California Grocers Association
  • Of a producer responsibility organization – Vacant until the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) is selected by CalRecycle. Once selected, the PRO will submit a letter to the Director with their recommended appointee.

Advisory Board Duties and Responsibilities

SB 54 Advisory Board Statute

Advisory Board members are required to perform several duties and responsibilities following their appointment. These include:

  • Meet at least once per year per PRC Section 42070 (c)
  • Comply with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act per PRC Section 42070(d)
  • Elect a chair of the advisory board at the first meeting to serve for the calendar year per PRC Section 42070(b)
  • Provide the PRO, CalRecycle, and a third party conducting a needs assessment with initial recommendations about creating a circular economy and implementing SB 54 as outlined in PRC Section 42070(e)
  • Review any needs assessment or update within 90 days of receipt of the assessment per PRC Section 42067
  • Review submitted PRO plans and offer written comments on the plan within 60 calendar days of receiving it pursuant to PRC Section 42070(h)
  • Publish deliverables and accomplish goals as outlined in PRC Section 42070
  • Serve for a staggered three-year term, with reappointment potential per PRC Section 42070(b)

In addition to the duties outlined above, members of the Advisory Board will be expected to:

  • Commit to attending meetings and contributing to work products outside of meeting times, including preparation of meeting notes and posting ADA accessible documents to a publicly available repository.
  • Provide own travel funding, as required.