Circular Action Alliance California (CAA) submitted its California program plan to the Packaging Producer Responsibility Advisory Board as required under California鈥檚 Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54), marking a key milestone in the state鈥檚 effort to reduce packaging waste and strengthen recycling and reuse systems.聽The submission represents a shift from planning to implementation, signaling the transition to operationalizing a statewide program aligned with finalized regulations.
California鈥檚 SB 54聽establishes聽a framework to improve how packaging is managed across the state, with defined roles for producers, local聽governments聽and recycling service providers. As the nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) appointed by聽CalRecycle,聽CAA聽is responsible聽for聽developing and implementing a program plan that meets statutory and regulatory requirements under state oversight.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 submission reflects the sustained collaboration that has shaped this work from the start,鈥� said聽Emily Coven, CAA鈥檚 California Executive Director.聽鈥淭he plan draws on extensive input from across California鈥檚 recycling and reuse system and is designed to work in real-world conditions while enabling steady progress over time.聽We鈥檙e聽encouraged by the level of engagement聽to date and look forward to continuing this collaboration as implementation scales, advancing a more circular system.鈥�
The聽program聽plan reflects a data-driven and collaborative approach, informed by technical analysis and engagement with producers, local governments, recycling service聽providers聽and other聽interest聽holders聽across the recycling and reuse system. It is designed to support a coordinated,聽transparent,聽and accountable approach to managing packaging materials from collection through end markets.
With regulations聽finalized聽on May 1, 2026, the state is entering a new phase focused on building the systems needed to enable implementation at scale. The plan outlines proposed pathways across recycling,聽reuse聽and source reduction, consistent with the regulatory framework.
Following the submission, the program plan enters a formal public comment period through Aug. 14, providing an opportunity for interest holders to review the proposal and share input as part of the program planning process.
“We have worked closely with producers, local jurisdictions, service providers and other interest holders to develop a robust plan, taking decisive action even ahead of final regulatory certainty,鈥� said Shane Buckingham, Chief of Staff. 鈥淏y launching the producer reporting process last year to build our source reduction plan and releasing fee-rate estimates this past May, we have provided the tools necessary for producers to prepare for the program. We have laid the foundation for a successful and pragmatic program and look forward to working with the public and the Packaging Producer Responsibility Advisory Board to finalize our path forward.”
鈥淪B 54 sets ambitious goals, and CAA鈥檚 role is to build a practical, scalable program that enables producers to meet those requirements under real-world conditions,鈥� said Jeff Fielkow, Chief Executive Officer. 鈥淭his submission is an important milestone, made possible by the dedication of our team and strong collaboration across producers, government, recyclers, and communities. We remain committed to working closely with CalRecycle and interest holders to develop a program that is effective, practical to implement, and capable of delivering the outcomes envisioned by SB 54.鈥�
CAA鈥檚聽early implementation activities include聽data collection and system optimization efforts to better understand infrastructure needs and inform future investments.