California sets roadmap to reduce single-use plastic packaging

A caller study from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) outlines applicable approaches and imaginable investments needed to conscionable the state’s legally mandated root simplification targets for single-use packaging and plastics.

The work forms a cardinal portion of California’s implementation of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act—commonly known arsenic Senate Bill 54 (SB 54)—which introduces extended shaper work (EPR) for packaging and integrative nutrient work ware sold successful the state.

The 2026 An Analysis of Actions and Investments Needed to Achieve Source Reduction study (DRRR-2026-1772) identifies measures, outgo actions and concern options required to scope SB 54’s root simplification requirements.

It represents the 2nd method constituent of the archetypal statewide needs appraisal that CalRecycle indispensable implicit nether SB 54.

Source simplification nether the Act aims to trim the full measurement of single-use plastics and packaging sold successful California. SB 54 sets binding simplification and recycling show goals implicit the adjacent decade, requiring producers to guarantee smaller volumes of integrative entering the state’s system and higher levels of recyclability and reuse.

The study examines existent worldly flows, imaginable redesign strategies, and wherever concern whitethorn beryllium needed to displacement accumulation and proviso chains.

It besides discusses options for producers and shaper work organisations (PROs) to money programmes and infrastructure improvements that lend to achieving the simplification benchmarks acceptable successful authorities law.

SB 54 took effect to displacement the work for packaging discarded from consumers and section governments to producers. The instrumentality requires companies that merchantability oregon administer single-use packaging and integrative nutrient work ware successful California to enactment successful an EPR programme.

Producers indispensable trim income of single-use integrative packaging by 25 per cent by 2032, guarantee 65 per cent of it is recycled by then, and marque each packaging recyclable oregon compostable.

The EPR model nether SB 54 besides mandates yearly reporting, information tracking by covered worldly categories and important fiscal contributions from manufacture done the PRO.

CalRecycle’s needs assessment—including the study conscionable published—will assistance find however funds whitethorn beryllium allocated to infrastructure and programmes to conscionable these targets.

Industry stakeholders person already begun preparing for compliance, including registering with the designated PRO and collecting baseline packaging data.