California Passes Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsiblity Act
State opts for staged reduction in single used plastics.
California has adopted legislation to make producers responsible for reducing plastic waste, opting for stepped increases in circularity targets over outright bans.
Food service ware and packaging will be impacted.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Producers of products using plastic will be required to join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). The organization will pay $500 million annually to support the mitigation of plastic pollution in the environment. Up to $150 million of this charge can be collected from resin manufacturers that supply the producers.
The PRO will be responsible for ensuring a staged reduction in the amount (by weight) of plastic materials sold and distributed in California, that those materials are recyclable or compostable, and that target recycling rates are met.
The targets for source reduction of plastic materials are:
- 10% by 2027
- 20% by 2030
- 25% by 2032
The targets for recycling rate of plastic materials are:
- 30% by 2028
- 40% by 2030
- 65% by 2032
Exceptions are provided for plastics used in medical applications and handling of hazardous materials. Beverage containers are also not covered, as they are subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.
A producer can opt out of participating in the PRO plan if they can show they individually meet a series of recycling and source reduction targets.
The bill does not directly address chemical recycling, though it does specify that the use of collected materials for energy generation would not be considered recycling.
A ballot initiative, which would have banned polystyrene food packaging outright, was dropped as part of the negotiation process. The final bill allows continued distribution of polystyrene if recycling targets can be met.
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) released a statement saying that it did not support the final, signed version of the bill.
The act passed the State Assembly 67-2 and the State Senate 29-0 before being signed into law by Gov. Newsom on June 30.
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