Plastic Reduction, Responsibility Bill Passed in California

A California bill tackling the plastic pollution crisis at the source is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk after a vote in the state Senate on Thursday.

The legislation, SB 54, will require producers to reduce single-use plastics packaging by at least 25%, by both weight and height, by 2032 and will also require 65% of covered materials be recycled or composted in 10 years.

The bill passed hours before a deadline to serve as an alternative to a ballot initiative in the November general election. Introduced in 2019 by lead author Sen. Ben Allen (D), it passed in ...