Congresswoman Rivas leads colleagues in urging Governor Newsom to finalize regulations to prevent plastic pollution
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) led a letter, along with House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Representative Laura Friedman (CA-30), urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to implement and finalize regulations for Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Responsibility Act of 2022, ahead of the March 7, 2025, deadline. SB 54 sets standards that allow California to reach its recycling and climate goals by 2032.
“Plastic pollution has harmful consequences that affect every community in California, from environmental justice zones to coastal fisheries and this state law takes the first steps to lift the burden of plastic pollution from our communities in California,” the lawmakers wrote. “As California lawmakers, we believe the implementation of SB 54 presents a comprehensive solution to address the entire lifecycle of plastic products, shifts us toward more sustainable products, and provides a template for the nation and world to follow.”
The full letter can be found below and here.
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Newsom:
We write regarding the implementation of Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) 2022, California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Responsibility Act of 2022, specifically the upcoming deadline to finalize regulations. Thank you for your leadership in signing SB 54 and beginning the rulemaking and implementation process. This landmark law sets the standards for reaching the state’s ambitious recycling and climate goals. In November 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its strategy to prevent plastic pollution, released its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution: Part Three of a Series on Building a Circular Economy for All (National Strategy), which provided an ambitious approach to reducing plastics and preventing plastic pollution from harming human health and the environment. It is essential that we continue working across all levels of government to prevent plastic pollution.
We have seen the harmful effects of micro plastics on the environment, public health, and economy. This law sets the ambitious goal that by 2032, California will cut single-use plastics by 25%, recycle 65% of all single-use plastics, and ensure 100% of single-use plastics are recyclable or compostable. Plastic pollution has harmful consequences that affect every community in California, from environmental justice zones to coastal fisheries, and this state law takes the first steps to lift the burden of plastic pollution from our communities in California.
As California lawmakers, we believe the implementation of SB 54 presents a comprehensive solution to address the entire lifecycle of plastic products, shifts us toward more sustainable products, and provides a template for the nation and world to follow. We understand implementation and the rulemaking process requires constant communication with stakeholders from the entire spectrum. We are pleased by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s (CalRecycle) exhaustive efforts to conduct and review stakeholder input to ensure a transparent and public process. CalRecycle reports that they have received over 450 letters and 5,000 comments, and held countless stakeholder meetings from industry, local governments, and advocacy groups. This has clearly met the intentions of the legislation as written. However, all this work may be for naught if regulations are not finalized by March 7, 2025.
To meet SB 54’s implementation deadline, CalRecycle would need to submit a final rulemaking package to the Office of Administrative Law by March 7, 2025. We urge you to consider doing so. By promulgating the regulations and adhering to the timelines set in SB 54, you would further solidify California’s leadership in environmental sustainability and position our state as a model for the nation in addressing plastic pollution. SB 54 gives California the tools to eliminate 23 million tons of plastic over the next decade.
Under your leadership, California has made historic progress in ensuring our communities are healthier and cleaner for generations to come.
We urge your attention to this critical matter, as we believe it is imperative that SB 54’s regulatory timelines are met to assist in the National Strategy’s goal of preventing plastic pollution and eliminating the release of plastic waste from land- and sea-based sources into the environment by 2040.1 We look forward to further discussing this issue. Additionally, we respectfully request a briefing from the Governor’s office before March 7 to provide an update on the regulatory timelines and implementation efforts.
[1]Background
SB 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, is California’s landmark legislation that sets ambitious goals to reduce plastic packaging and require all forms of single-use packaging be recyclable or compostable by 2032. This legislation sets the goal for producers to reduce single-use plastic packaging and foodservice packaging by at least 25% by 2032 and that all plastic single-use packaging items reach a recycling rate of at least 65% by 2032. California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is tasked with implementing and enforcing the law, including adopting necessary regulations.
As Assemblywoman, Congresswoman Rivas served as joint author of SB 54, which was originally introduced by State Senator Ben Allen (SD-24). On June 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law.
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