CalRecycle 2026 Action Plan Outlines Strategy to Meet SB 54 Mandates

SB 54 sets binding plastic reduction and recycling performance goals over the next decade, requiring producers to lower plastic volumes while improving recyclability and reuse rates.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has released a comprehensive report outlining the actions and investments required to meet California’s legally mandated source reduction targets for single-use packaging and plastics.

The publication supports implementation of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, commonly known as Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), which establishes an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework for packaging and plastic food service ware sold in the state.

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Titled 2026 An Analysis of Actions and Investments Needed to Achieve Source Reduction (DRRR-2026-1772), the report serves as the second technical component of CalRecycle’s statewide needs assessment under SB 54. It evaluates material flows, identifies packaging redesign strategies, and details cost measures necessary to reduce the overall volume of single-use plastics entering California’s economy.

SB 54 sets binding plastic reduction and recycling performance goals over the next decade, requiring producers to lower plastic volumes while improving recyclability and reuse rates. The report also outlines funding mechanisms and infrastructure investments that producers and producer responsibility organisations may adopt to comply with statutory benchmarks.