SB 54: Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act

SB 54 establishes a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to manage packaging and single-use plastic food service ware products across every sector of the economy.

EPR gives primary responsibility for managing products after their useful life to producers, who can design and market products to be more easily reused or recycled.

• On May 1, 2026, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the permanent regulations and filed them with the Secretary of State. The regulations became effective upon filing.
• On May 1, 2026, CalRecycle published a guidance webpage with updated resources for producers and plans to publish new guidance materials soon.
• CalRecycle published the needs assessment studies as required by PRC Section 42067.
• On December 31, 2025, CalRecycle published an updated Covered Material Categories List (as required by PRC 42061 (e)), including:
  • Updated recyclability and compostability determinations for each covered material category (CMC); and
  • A first-ever recycling rate determination for each CMC (PRC 42061 (b)).
• On September 30, 2025, CalRecycle published an update to the preliminary findings of a statewide material characterization (MCS) study of disposed of SB 54-covered material.
  • CalRecycle has published final findings of the MCS.
• Circular Action Alliance has been approved to serve as the first Producer Responsibility Organization. (PRC 42061.5)

More information can be found on the CalRecyclewebsite.