Sacramento, California – Today, environmental justice and environmental sustainability organizations in the Break Free From Plastic movement condemn the State of California and Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to meet the deadline to implement landmark California legislation designed to expand plastic recycling and limit the use of single-use plastic packaging, and the plastics industry for their continuous efforts to derail the statute’s implementation.
Both the State’s and industry’s actions represent a betrayal of the compromise reached in 2022 that led advocates to withdraw a ballot initiative that the industry had strongly opposed. Instead of the ballot measure, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 54, an agreement that allowed the industry, rather than the government, to manage an effort to reduce plastic pollution.
Despite the clear terms of that agreement, the industry has worked to undermine SB 54 ever since its passage, all while plastic pollution has dramatically increased. Mounting scientific evidence has proven that plastic pollution is permeating our air, water, food, and virtually every part of our bodies. It is not only an environmental problem but an urgent public health threat as well.
A California state-sponsored study found that nearly three million tons of single-use plastic and more than 170 billion single-use plastic products were sold, offered for sale, or distributed in California in 2023. Californians throw away the equivalent of 290 Olympic-sized pools of plastic every day, much of which gets shipped to developing countries. California was rated as the state with the highest waste exports, contributing 20 million kg to non-OECD countries and 51 million kg to Mexico.
SB 54 required the industry to make investments in reuse infrastructure and reduce single-use plastic packaging by 25 percent by 2032. By then, all single-use plastic is to be recyclable or compostable. The bill also made producers – rather than consumers or local governments – responsible for managing the task of keeping single-use plastics out of the environment, a central function of extended producer responsibility
Despite their agreement to comply, industry has continuously lobbied the state to slow the adoption of the necessary implementation regulations. Today, Friday, was the deadline for submitting those rules, and instead of following SB 54, Governor Newsom, citing unreasonable burdens to industry, broke his promise to the people of California, prioritizing industry’s bottom line over Californians’ rights to a clean and healthy environment and protection by their government.
The plastics industry again proves that they cannot be trusted to live by agreements negotiated with advocates, the Legislature, and the Governor’s office. Even if new regulations are ultimately adopted, the industry has made it clear that they are simply not serious about meaningfully reducing the amount of plastic pollution that they create and from which they profit.
Advocates are committed to reevaluating all possible avenues to achieving the targets and goals in SB 54, including reviving the ballot initiative to let voters decide this issue. Public opinion polling consistently shows that California voters overwhelmingly support regulating and taxing plastic packaging. If Governor Newsom and public officials will not stand up to industry pressure, then the people will.
"While the Trump Administration is shredding environmental law and giving the petrochemical industry license to poison our air, water, and bodies, we are relying on our state governments to hold the line and protect the people and the environment. Governor Newsom claims to be a climate, environmental, and public health leader. He’s made promises to act in the best interest of Californians. Instead, he is kowtowing to big plastic in a bid to strangle SB 54, putting profit over people and showing the people of California which side he is on. The Governor cites cost as the deciding factor, but what about the cost of failing to act, the cost to our health and a livable future? With the majority of California voters in support of regulating plastic packaging and supportive of politicians who stand up to special interests, not so-called leaders who follow industry’s lead, the people will have the last word."
- Melissa Aguayo, US + CAN Regional Coordinator, Break Free From Plastic (BFFP)
“As a coalition representing some of California's most impacted and overburdened communities throughout the lifecycle of plastic, we are deeply disappointed by this outcome. This was a pivotal opportunity for California to push forward regulations that would better protect our communities from companies that keep putting profit over people. The regulations as written would have played a role in keeping chemical recycling technologies from being allowed near our communities. Instead, we now face threats from both the ongoing plastic pollution crisis & from false solutions being championed by the same industries causing suffering - all of which perpetuate public health risks to predominantly low-income and communities of color throughout the state. This delay sends a clear message: the needs and concerns of environmental justice communities are being sidelined in favor of industry greed & false solutions.”
- Tevin Hamilton, Coalition Coordinator, Environmental Justice Communities Against Plastics (EJCAP)
“SB 54 states that ‘Disadvantaged and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by the human health and environmental impacts of plastic pollution and fossil fuel extraction.’ This means a delay in implementing these regulations will allow more plastic pollution to be created and allow further harm to the health of our state’s—and the world’s—most vulnerable and overburdened people. This delay by Governor Newsom is an environmental injustice, plain and simple.”
- Thomas Helme, Co-Founder / Co-Director, Valley Improvement Projects (VIP)
“It's disappointing—but ultimately not surprising—that the industry is backing away from its commitment to tackle plastic pollution and trying to slow down the process that they themselves agreed to. The growing impact that plastic pollution is having on our health and the environment make it clear that we can’t afford to continue with the status quo that the industry is fighting so hard to defend.”
- Nick Lapis, Director of Advocacy, Californians Against Waste
“Surfrider Foundation is extremely disappointed in today’s outcome. With countless hours spent developing and refining the draft SB 54 regulations, a thorough process with ample public engagement opportunities was conducted. This is another unfortunate example of industry undermining public processes to disrupt and maintain the status quo and pad their bottom line. We’re drowning in plastic pollution, and as California is looked up to as a global leader in environmental conservation, the state let down our communities, especially marginalized communities who bear the brunt of cumulative pollution impacts, and our environment by intervening.”
- Miho Ligare, Plastic Pollution Initiative, Surfrider Foundation
“When the SB54 draft comment period opened in the summer of 2024, Plastic Pollution Coalition and eight other organizations shared our concerns over the legislation’s many vague definitions, focus on recycling target rates rather than source reduction, and were deeply disappointed to learn that the sole Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) approved was the Circular Action Alliance that was composed of board members from some of the largest plastic polluters.
We knew then that plastic producers were not acting in good faith, nor did they really intend to work with the State of California to solve the plastic crisis, but only to ensure they could continue actively undermining, and delaying the implementation of California’s plastic reduction laws. This is the fox guarding the hen house.
Californians want an end to the plastic pollution crisis, and have voted to do so. It is time to let the voters have a direct say in regulations that hold plastic producers accountable for their pollution. The plastics industry has proven time and again that they are incapable of self regulation and will only continue business as usual at the expense of current and future generations. If the leaders won't lead, the people will.”
- Dianna Cohen, Co-Founder and CEO, Plastic Pollution Coalition
“This is yet another example of the plastics industry, with California’s help, putting profits before people—with Governor Newsom allowing them to get away with it. Instead of investing in real solutions, they peddle toxic technologies and deliberately stall progress to protect their bottom line—at the cost of communities, climate, and environmental health. Despite overwhelming public support for action on plastic pollution, Governor Newsom and California—a state that claims to be a leader in climate, health, and environmental justice—has failed to act. This is more than just a setback; it is a blatant reminder that corporate influence continues to undermine environmental justice. Californians were promised action, not excuses. The communities most harmed by plastic pollution cannot afford more delays. The time for half-measures and empty promises is over—strong enforcement and real accountability must come next.”
- Denaya Shorter, Senior Director, US & Canada Region, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)
“This is yet another example of how the public can’t trust the fossil-fueled plastic industry. We need plastic pollution to be addressed in California now, instead of wasting taxpayers' money by delaying the implementation of this important law.”
- Renee Sharp, Director of Plastics and Petrochemical Advocacy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
California’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law is the only one of the five existing packaging EPR laws that includes explicit, numeric reuse targets in statute. Many schools and organizations that have already adopted reuse systems have seen a return on investment (ROI) and cost savings within months of implementation. The delay in enforcing these provisions will have significant health and environmental consequences for Californians.
This delay essentially allows plastic producers to avoid responsibility, shifting the burden of their plastic waste and pollution onto California taxpayers. SB54 was intended to be costly for plastic polluters, but it was designed to ultimately save Californians money by preventing increases in trash rates and reducing the costs of pollution and health-related cleanups.
I do not understand how Governor Newsom could suddenly reverse his position and decide that it is too expensive for plastic polluters to pay for the damage they’ve caused. Yet, it seems acceptable to raise waste rates for everyday Californians and leave local governments to bear the increasing costs of waste management. This shift in responsibility unfairly burdens the public while letting polluters off the hook.
- Shira Lane, CEO, Atrium 916 - Creative Innovation Center for Sustainability
The governor’s delay raises questions about his commitment to those impacted by the plastic pollution crisis. Our communities have been engaging with this process in good faith, but these delays and requests to continue engaging in this process without a clear commitment to action places unacceptable burdens on already burdened communities.
- Fernando Tormos-Aponte, Policy Lead, Just Transition Alliance
In a time when we desperately need State governments to show leadership and step up to the challenge of protecting our most vulnerable communities, we are disappointed to see how industry interests and profits continue to be prioritized over our own health and the health of our unique California environment, while stealing the right to a healthy environment from future generations.
- Alejandra Warren, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Plastic Free Future
