SB 54 Updates

Producer Working Group #9 Recap

Circular Action Alliance (CAA), California's first and only approved Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for the implementation of SB 54, the CA Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, held its ninth Producer Working Group Meeting (PWG #9) this morning, which focused on CAA’s Participant Agreement and an overview of SB 54 regulatory terms including EPR, PRO and Eco Modulation.

CAA's Producer Agreement, not yet available to producers but coming soon, will outline terms and conditions, confidentiality and verification and auditing requirements for producers. Registered producers were encouraged to have their legal counsel on today's call. The CRA team also attended and has prepared a recap of the Q&A portion of the call, which is not provided by CAA.

The presentation/slide deck for PWG #9 will be posted to CAA's website soon and CRA will share it out to members once it is published. Acess CRA's recap of today's PWG #9 HERE.

In Case You Missed It: Covered Materials Category List Published

Pursuant to Section 42061(a)(1) of the Public Resources Code (PRC), CalRecycle must establish and post a list of covered material categories (CMCs) by July 1, 2024. An updated list of categories can be found on the SB 54 Covered Material Categories webpage or by clicking HERE.

CMCs were previously published on December 28, 2023, pursuant to PRC 42061(c) and (d), which require CalRecycle to publish a list of categories that are deemed recyclable or eligible to be labeled as compostable. This new publication provides an update of covered material categories, including a list of changes that have been made since the prior publication. The update does not include an update to determinations of recyclability or compostability by CMC. CalRecycle will update the recyclability and compostability determinations annually (starting January 1, 2025), to meet requirements of PRC 42061(e).

Read More:

CalRecycle Updates EPR Covered Materials List

Resource Recycling

Reminder: Next Advisory Board Meeting This Friday, July 19

On July 19 from 10:00AM - 4:00PM, CalRecycle will host the next Advisory Board meeting for the implementation of SB 54 (Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022). During this meeting, the Advisory Board will discuss:

• Presentation from CalRecycle: Updates and Next Steps on SB 54 Regulations
• Barrier and Solutions to a Circular Economy, Consistent with SB 54: Compostability/Compostable Covered Materials
• Barrier and Solutions to a Circular Economy, Consistent with SB 54: Leakage of Plastic into the Environment
• Next Steps and Advisory Board Role Related to the SB 54 Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund

A link to the advisory board agenda can be found on the Advisory Board Repository (Google Drive). For more information, please go to the SB 54 webpage. 

Ways to Attend:

• In-person: Byron Sher Auditorium, 1001 I Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95914. No registration necessary, attendees may submit public comments.
• Zoom: Registration is required. Attendees may Submit public comments. Register to participate via zoom HERE.
• Webcast: No registration necessary and no public comment option. Live stream/watch only. Click HERE to watch.

Reminder: CEQA Public Scoping Meeting Next Monday, July 22, Notice of Preparation Published

CalRecycle, as the Lead Agency, is preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for SB 54 (Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022) Proposed Regulations.

On July 22 from 1:00PM - 3:00PM PST, CalRecycle will conduct a public scoping meeting for the purposes of soliciting written comments from interested parties, responsible agencies, agencies with jurisdiction by law, trustee agencies and involved federal agencies, as to the appropriate scope and content of the PEIR.

More information will be forthcoming and will be available on the SB 54 webpage prior to the meeting. Date and time of this meeting are still subject to change.

Ways to Attend:

• In-person: Byron Sher Auditorium, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95914. No registration necessary, attendees may submit public comments.
• Zoom: Registration is required. Attendees may Submit public comments. Register to participate via zoom HERE.
• Webcast: No registration necessary and no public comment option. Live stream/watch only. Click HERE to watch.

In accordance with CEQA, agencies are requested to review the Proposed Program provided in the Notice of Preparation and to provide comments on environmental issues related to the statutory responsibilities of each responsible or trustee agency. 

Battery Stewardship Program

Battery Stewardship Informal Regulatory Concept Workshop Recap and Presentation

CalRecycle held an informal public workshop to present draft regulatory concepts and consult with the public on topics including definitions, state agency fees and enforcement-related provisions outlined in the Responsible Battery Recycling Act (AB 2440, Irwin, Ch. 351, Statutes of 2022). CalRecycle also requested data and information from interested parties to support CalRecycle’s assessment of the economic and fiscal impact of the proposed regulations. The discussion document for the July 11, 2024, informal workshop is posted on the public notice. CRA was in attendance and has provided a recap of the Q&A portion, which is not provided by CalRecycle. Access that recap HERE. CalRecycle's presentation from the public workshop is also now available HERE.

Public comments are due by July 25. Submit comments HERE. Written feedback and questions can also be sent via email to regulations@calrecycle.ca.gov with the subject line “July 2024 Battery Stewardship Workshop”. Visit the Public Notice to view all the details for this scheduled workshop.

Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.), your written and oral comments, attachments and associated contact information (e.g., address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request.