Volunteers, organizers, leaders celebrate California’s landmark plastic reduction law

Less single-use plastic will mean cleaner beaches and a healthier environment for people and wildlife alike.

November 1, 2022

California’s iconic beaches are one of our strongest reminders that we shouldn’t let a plastic product used for just a few minutes pollute our open spaces for generations.

On Oct. 23, CALPIRG, Environment California and other advocacy groups joined state legislators and city officials at Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza to celebrate this summer’s passage of the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act. The new law requires companies to reduce the amount of plastic they use in their products, specifically mandating a 25% reduction in plastic packaging and plastic foodware. The law additionally requires that all single-use food and packaging be recyclable, so less ends up in landfills and the environment.

In remarks to the event’s 100 attendees, CALPIRG State Director Jenn Engstrom said, “This law represents a monumental step forward in the fight against plastic waste, and the culmination of more than four years of organizing and advocacy. It’s thanks to this collective action that major plastic producers are now finally being held accountable for cleaning up the mess they create.”

“According to Oceana, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean every 30 seconds,” added Environment California State Director Laura Deehan. “With the passage of state Sen. Ben Allen’s plastic pollution legislation into law, California once again becomes the nation’s leader in keeping plastic waste out of our waterways and truly putting wildlife over waste.”