Statement: California on track to reduce plastic waste

For immediate release:
Thursday, December 19, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The opportunity for the public to comment on a major plastic reduction initiative by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) ended on Tuesday. CalRecycle first proposed its draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report and regulations to implement the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 (SB 54) nine months ago.

This landmark anti-plastic pollution legislation will reduce single-use foodware and packaging, ensure single-use items are actually recyclable or compostable by 2032 and hold plastic packaging producers financially responsible for cleaning up the waste their products create. 

CALPIRG and Environment California supported the passage of the law and encourage timely adoption of CalRecycle’s enforcement rules. 

In response to conclusion of the final comment period, Environment California State Director Laura Deehan and CALPIRG Legislative Advocate Fiona Hines issued the following statements: 

“Nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute our ocean for hundreds of years,” said Deehan. “With millions of pieces of plastic floating in our rivers and ocean, it’s easy for birds, fish and sea turtles to mistake a small piece of plastic for food—with life-threatening consequences. Better defining how the plastic law works will be crucial to reduce the damage plastic waste can inflict on our precious wildlife and coastal landscapes.”

“When SB 54 became law, California became a leader in tackling the global plastic waste crisis,” said Hines. “This landmark law set our state on a path to dramatically reduce the amount of plastic we produce, and help push back on the rising tide of plastic waste choking our communities and environment. We thank the governor and state leaders for leading us to this exciting milestone and encourage the state to adopt these critical rules to minimize plastic waste.”