California is taking major steps to cut plastic waste and deliver cleaner, healthier communities. The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54 of 2022) is now in effect, shifting responsibility for packaging waste from governments and taxpayers to the producers that create it. The new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for packaging and single-use plastic food service ware requires producers to reduce plastic and manage their products when consumers are done with them, encouraging smarter design for reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging.

To help guide this transition, CalRecycle released a statewide Needs Assessment that examines how materials move through California’s waste and recycling systems and identifies opportunities to modernize infrastructure, improve material recovery, reduce costs for local governments, and make collection and processing systems work better for everyone. As part of this work, CalRecycle met with California Native Tribes and environmental justice organizations to better understand community priorities and help ensure these voices help shape the state’s approach.

Regulations officially took effect on May 1, 2026, launching one of the nation’s most comprehensive efforts to reduce plastic pollution and build a circular economy that keeps materials circulating in the economy rather than buried in landfills. With progress milestones along the way, the law requires producers to reduce single-use plastic packaging and food service ware by 25%, recycle 65% of plastic covered materials, and ensure that all packaging is recyclable or compostable by 2032. These targets support a circular economy while minimizing impacts on small businesses and working families. CalRecycle’s packaging producer responsibility website includes tools and guidance for producers, as well as its new Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility System, designed to support producer registration, reporting, document submittals, and compliance monitoring. 

A major component of the law is the Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund (PPMF), which directs long-term resources to address the environmental and public
health impacts of plastic pollution. Beginning in July 2027, producers will provide $500 million per year for the next ten years, totaling a $5 billion investment to support ecosystem restoration, pollution reduction, public health initiatives, and other efforts that address the damage caused by plastic waste in California communities.

Four state agencies will administer these funds: the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Natural Resources Agency, the Strategic Growth Council, and the California Department of Justice. The law prioritizes investments in communities disproportionately impacted by pollution, including tribal, rural, low-income, and disadvantaged communities. Funding may support community-led restoration projects, health monitoring, water and habitat protection, and local capacity building. For tribes, the fund creates new opportunities to advance stewardship initiatives, support culturally informed environmental programs, strengthen tribal capacity, and increase access to long-term environmental funding.

At this moment, the four agencies are gathering feedback from tribes, community advocates, and environmental justice communities to help shape how the fund will operate. Workshops, listening sessions, and other public engagement opportunities will help ensure investments reflect community needs and delivers the greatest benefit to Californians across the state.