A new State law, SB 54, known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, sets new goals to reduce plastic packaging and requires that all forms of single-use products be recyclable or compostable by 2032.

 

As part of the law’s requirements, CalRecycle, the agency implementing and enforcing the law, has appointed a producer responsibility advisory board, consisting of representatives of local government, environmental and environmental justice organizations, manufacturers, recycling and solid waste enterprises, and retail and grocery associations.

 

StopWaste’s Executive Director, Timothy Burroughs, has been selected as one of 16 members, and will represent the interests of local governments as the state moves forward with developing and implementing SB 54 regulations.

 

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.

 

SB 54 is designed to shift the burden of costs to collect, process and recycle materials from local governments and impacted communities to the producers of plastic foodware and other forms of single use packaging. It has the potential to be the most meaningful law in the nation affecting plastic pollution and other forms of single use packaging.

 

Read more about SB 54 and the advisory board here.