SB 54 Passes Legislature
On June 30, 2022 the Senate passed SB 54 a bill I co-authored to reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging such as utensils, wrappers, bags, lids, cups, plates, and bowls, etc.
The passage of the bill is the culmination of a multiyear effort to find agreement between community, environmental, government, business and nonprofit groups.
Specifically, the historic achievements in bill are the following:
- Establishes the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.
- Establishes a Producer Responsibility Organization of affected industries to coordinate and plan compliance with the law and establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility Program.
- Requires most plastic single-use food service ware and packaging in California to meet the following recycle rates:
- No less than 30% by January 1, 2028
- No less than 40% by January 1, 2030
- No less than 65% by January 1, 2032
- Prohibits polystyrene (one of the most widely used plastics in the world) food service ware from being used in California unless the producer can demonstrate they meet the following recycle rates:
- 25% by January 1, 2025
- 30% by January 1, 2028
- 50% by January 1, 2030
- 65% by January 1, 2032
- Requires 25 percent reduction of plastics packaging and food ware coming onto the market by January 1, 2032.
- Establishes an annual payment of $500 million by plastic manufacturers into an environmental fund to restore our natural environments with special focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities.
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