"Approximately 40% of all plastics created right now are single-use plastic," says Megan J. Wolff, Ph.D., M.P.H, Policy Director at Beyond Plastics. "They're basically instant trash." The impacts of this are felt widely, polluting not just our streets, but our waterways and soils. Thanks to a law in California signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this past June, there could be much less plastic waste in California within a decade, serving as a potential pilot for this legislation being enacted elsewhere.
The landmark legislation requires that all packaging in the state be compostable or recyclable by 2032, and sets guidelines for increasing the levels of recycling of plastic packaging in the state by the same year. By signing SB 54 into law, Newsom seeks to hold polluters responsible, shifting the burden of responsibility for plastic pollution from consumers to the plastics industry. This will be achieved by raising $5 billion from industry members over a 10-year period, funding efforts to cut plastic pollution and support the communities most affected by it. The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act asks producers of covered material to form and join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) by January 2024. These PROs will collect fees from the member producers, and will work to ensure compliance with the requirements. PRO participants are asked to reduce the amount of plastic packaging by 25% by 2032. This might be achieved by measures such as lightweighting or shifting to an alternative material.
