CalRecycle began 2025 by releasing a number of experiences and updates because it implements SB 54, California’s Plastic Air pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Duty Act.
Lowering single-use plastics
CalRecycle launched its supply discount baseline report on Dec. 31. Working with consulting agency Accenture, the company estimated the quantity of single-use plastic packaging offered, supplied on the market or distributed within the state in 2023. These figures inform how a lot plastic — each in tonnage and the variety of particular person items — will must be lowered to hit the 25% lower by 2032 that’s spelled out in SB 54:
| Single-use plastic mannequin | Complete plastic elements | Complete weight of plastic (tons) |
| Packaging | 84 billion | 2.4 million |
| Meals service ware | 87.4 billion | 500,000 |
| Complete | 171.4 billion | 2.9 million |
| 25% discount by 2032 | 42.9 billion | 725,000 |
Up to date recyclability, compostability designations for coated materials classes
The company additionally launched an up to date model of its coated materials classes listing, or these supplies that shall be regulated beneath SB 54. The listing is to be republished yearly by means of 2032.
CalRecycle’s unique CMC listing launched a yr in the past confirmed that 37 out of 98 classes — about 38% — had been “doubtlessly recyclable” within the state, together with most kinds of glass, aluminum, cardboard, and paper, in addition to sure kinds of plastics. Six classes had been denoted as “doubtlessly compostable.”
A July replace to coated materials classes streamlined the listing from 98 to 94 classes.
The most recent version launched Dec. 31 had nearer to half — 45 of 94 — of the classes thought of “recyclable,” whereas 11 had been deemed “compostable.”
One year-over-year change is that extra tin, metal, bimetal and different metallic classes are actually deemed recyclable; the unique listing largely seen aluminum classes as the one recyclable metals. On the compostability facet, newly acknowledged additions embrace molded fiber with out plastic, in addition to cardboard and waxed cardboard with out plastic.
Limiting plastic foam meals service ware
SB 54 stipulated that for producers to proceed promoting plastic foam meals service ware, they must show the fabric had a 25% recycling fee as of Jan. 1, 2025 — a provision seen by many as a de facto ban for a cloth not broadly recycled.
CalRecycle’s Melanie Turner, an SB 54 spokesperson, mentioned on Jan. 2 that the company is presently reviewing EPS recycling fee knowledge obtained from one unspecified EPS firm.
Producers of EPS meals service ware could also be topic to enforcement, Turner mentioned in an electronic mail. CalRecycle could provoke investigations and situation notices of violation. Thirty days after such a discover is issued, noncompliant producers may face penalties of as much as $50,000 per violation per day, Turner mentioned.
Turner confirmed that within the up to date CMC listing, the 2 expanded polystyrene coated materials classes, which embrace EPS used for single-use meals service ware and single-use packaging, don’t meet the necessities to be thought of recyclable in California. Nonetheless, Turner clarified that SB 54’s foam provision “is along with and never essentially comparable to CMC recyclability listing standards.”
In September, CalRecycle reminded EPS producers of the looming 2025 requirement. The recyclability threshold will later rise to 30% in 2028, 50% in 2030 and 65% in 2032. Meals ware maker Dart Container blamed impacts from the legislation when it just lately laid off 175 individuals throughout two California services.
The Ocean Conservancy famous in a press launch Thursday that, with California’s deadline, plastic foam meals ware faces bans alongside your complete West Coast. A Washington state ban on plastic foam meals ware took impact in 2024, and an Oregon ban additionally took impact this week. A number of different states even have numerous restrictions on foam containers.
Anja Brandon, director of plastics coverage on the Ocean Conservancy, mentioned in a press release that the change in California “will make a big impact in defending the ocean, atmosphere, and our communities from this widespread type of plastic air pollution.” The nonprofit helps the nationwide Farewell to Foam Act, a invoice launched in Congress in 2023 that didn’t transfer. It referred to as for phasing out single-use plastic foam meals service merchandise nationwide come 2026.
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