States · CA
California packaging EPR
Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54). Facts last checked October 31, 2026.
The short answer
California’s SB 54 covers single-use packaging and plastic single-use food service ware. Producers join Circular Action Alliance (CAA), and California asks for more than the other states: about 90 material categories, a count of plastic components, a source-reduction baseline and source-reduction reports.
| Law | SB 54, signed June 30, 2022; regulations finalized May 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| State agency | CalRecycle |
| Producer responsibility organization | CAA, selected by CalRecycle January 5, 2024 |
| Program plan | Final draft submitted October 13, 2026; CalRecycle approval expected on or before January 1, 2027 |
| Participation | From January 1, 2027, covered producers must participate in an approved plan to keep selling covered packaging in California |
| 2026 reports | Annual supply report (2025 data), baseline report (2023 data) and source-reduction report, due May 31, 2026; individual source-reduction plan due August 1, 2026 |
| Next report | Annual reporting to CAA; 2027 date not yet published by CAA (as of October 31, 2026) |
| Fees | Fee obligations start January 2027; CAA must also pay $500 million a year into the state’s Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund from 2027 through 2037 |
| Court status | Challenge pending, hearing January 15, 2027, no injunction in place (as of October 31, 2026) |
Worth knowing
- By January 1, 2032, SB 54 requires all covered packaging in California to be recyclable or compostable and 25% of plastic packaging to be source reduced.
Who counts as a producer in California?
Usually the brand owner of the packaged product. Where there is no brand owner in the state’s chain, the definitions move to the licensee, importer or first distributor, and retailers are producers for their private-label goods. Each state’s law defines it a little differently, and CAA publishes producer-definition guidance for each state. You decide whether you’re a producer, with your counsel if you like; our free EPR Check lays the rule text next to your figures.
Sources
We summarize public sources and may miss a later change. This is general information, not legal advice.