California has launched new recycling regulations, reforms, and funding to reduce single-use plastic waste in the state.
California has released draft regulations for the requirements for producers to cut single-use plastic waste and ensure the packaging on products they sell is recyclable or compostable. California also will soon enter formal rulemaking for another law to expand beverage container redemption with technology and partnerships.
"For decades, plastics have been falsely advertised as recyclable while really being designed to be thrown away," said California's Secretary for Environmental Protection Yana Garcia. "This growing source of trash ends up in our landfills or, too often, polluting our most vulnerable communities."
Additionally, CalRecycle will give out $55 million in grants supporting technology solutions and workforce development for California's recycling industry.
Packaging makes up over 50 percent of what California throws away. California's Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54, Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022) institutes the nation's strongest requirements for producers to cut disposable plastic packaging and food ware and then recycle the rest.
This law requires that by 2032 the industry must:
- Sell 25 percent less single-use plastic packaging and food ware in the state.
- Make all single-use packaging and plastic food ware recyclable or compostable.
- Recycle 65 percent of single-use plastic packaging and food ware.
The law also creates a fund that will raise $5 billion from industry members for the state to address plastic pollution in communities most impacted by plastic pollution.
The formal rulemaking process for CalRecycle, which will receive public comments on the SB 54 rules for a minimum 45-day period, has started. CalRecycle will also hold a hearing for public comments on the draft regulations.
Spurring business innovation to make recycling more convenient, SB 1013 (Atkins, Chapter 610, Statutes of 2022) gives beverage retailers in areas with no recycling centres the choice to either redeem in-store or join a cooperative recycling program. The law removes the option for retailers to pay a $100 daily fee instead of redeeming.
The law and draft regulations will bring more recycling sites to the state with new ways to redeem, including mobile recycling centres, reverse vending machines, and recycling drop-off stations. The public may submit comments on the draft rules after the Office of Administrative Law publishes them.
