California Senate Bill 54 enacted last week will require that by 2028 at least 30 percent of plastic packaging will be recyclable increasing to 65 percent by 2032.  A 25 percent reduction in plastic waste will also be mandated by that year.  Polystyrene received specific attention in the bill with a 25 percent recycling rate by 2025 with the intent to ban this plastic entirely.

Senate Bill 54 created the California Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund that will distribute $500 million annually for 10 years, commencing 2027.  The fund, supported by the plastics industry, will concentrate on mitigating environmental accumulation of plastics. Predictably the industry association representing plastic manufacturers did not support the bill.

In an ironic postscript we are faced with a surfeit of plastic waste while Baxter a major manufacturer of medical disposables is warning customers of a potential future shortage of IV bags and other items due to supply chain issues involving plastic resins.