California Adopts Nation’s Most Comprehensive Paper And Plastic Packaging Bill
July 7, 2022
On June 28, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 54 into law
following its unanimous approval by the state senate. The new
law will require all plastic packaging in the state to reach a 30%
recycling rate by 2028, which will increase to 65% by 2032.
The legislation is part of Newsom’s broader plan to mitigate the
effects of climate change. It creates an extended producer
responsibility (EPR) program in an effort to minimize waste.
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“This is a pretty big deal,” says PPAI Public Affairs Manager
Maurice Norris. “We’ve been following policy proposals related
to extended producer responsibility for a few years, and while
California isn’t the first state to do this, it’s certainly the biggest.
This is probably the most ambitious plastics packaging
requirement in the country.”
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