Statement: California fails to meet deadline to implement landmark plastic reduction law

LOS ANGELES — California failed to meet a critical deadline Friday to implement its historic plastic reduction law.  According to Bloomberg, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a redo of the law’s regulations, citing cost. 

Gov. Newsom signed the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) in 2022. As designed, the law would reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our environment by an estimated 23 million tons over 10 years. It mandates significant reductions in single-use foodware and packaging, requiring that those items actually be recyclable or compostable. The law also holds producers financially responsible for the plastic they put into our communities.

In response to the missed implementation deadline, CALPIRG State Director Jenn Engstrom and Environment California State Director Laura Deehan issued the following statements. 

“We’re very concerned by Governor Newsom’s decision to delay implementation of California’s landmark plastic reduction law. Pollution from single-use plastic packaging is now at a crisis level —  harming our environment, cluttering our communities, and threatening public health,” said Engstrom. “We cannot delay tackling this problem, so we hope the governor will stand strongly against the scourge of plastic waste and see that our state meets the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act’s goals and timeline.”

“Nothing we use for a few minutes for eating or drinking should pollute our waters or threaten our health for hundreds of years,” said Deehan. “With millions of bits of plastic floating down our rivers and getting to the ocean, it’s easy for wildlife to mistake a piece of plastic for food — with life-threatening consequences. I’m concerned that any ‘redo’ of plastic pollution reduction rules may let plastic companies weaken the law. We’re counting on Gov. Newsom to protect all Californians and our environment.”