California Consultation
Process
To develop an initial California program plan for SB 54, CAA is hosting a series of topic-based consultation webinars to solicit input from interest holders. Each webinar offers a dedicated opportunity to submit your insights, directly shaping a robust and effective plan for meeting California’s ambitious recycling and packaging waste reduction goals.
Since being selected as California's Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in January 2024, CAA has been actively engaging with a range of interested parties, including:
Producers
Trade associations
Local governments
Service providers
End markets
Environmental justice organizations
Nongovernmental organizations
These ongoing dialogs are essential to deeply understand different perspectives and ensure the program plan is both practical and effective.
Our upcoming series of topic-based consultation webinars in October 2025 offer another opportunity to help shape California's program plan, slated for submission in June 2026. We look forward to engaging with thousands of individuals across California during this process.
Background
Consultation Sessions
Consultation sessions are open to all interested parties engaged with the respective topics. Each session will feature:
A presentation from CAA outlining our proposed approach
Q&A via chat submission
Comprehensive post-webinar questionnaire to capture input and feedback
Fact sheets detailing the session’s content will be posted a week before each webinar.
Environmental Justice and Community Engagement
Oct. 15, 2025, 10-11 a.m. PT
CAA is working to ensure education and outreach efforts reflect insights gained through engagement with the communities and populations most impacted by SB 54 and that implementation of the EPR plan avoids or minimizes negative environmental or public health impacts on disadvantaged or low-income communities. This webinar describes CAA’s roles and intentions as it relates to engaging environmental justice and underserved or impacted communities, outlines recent steps taken and initial input received from community engagement, and shares upcoming steps in the campaign development process.
Compostable Packaging and Single-Use Service Ware
Oct. 6, 2025, 10-11 a.m. PT
This webinar explores two scenarios for compostable packaging and single-use food service ware (FSW) in terms of their eligibility to be labelled as “compostable” and their acceptance at processing facilities. It will cover the current policy landscape, the existing barriers to their use as a viable compliance pathway under SB 54, and the actions CAA proposes to take under each scenario to address those barriers.
Covered Cost and Payment Mechanism
Oct. 14, 2025, 1-2 p.m. PT
This webinar offers a high-level overview of the SB 54 covered cost and payment mechanism process. We'll walk through the current thinking around how funding applications may be submitted and evaluated, types of potential eligible costs, how payments might be issued and possible approaches to dispute resolution. We’ll also share preliminary ideas for guidance materials and seek feedback to help shape the process moving forward.
Reimbursement Cost Collection Analysis
Oct. 16, 2025, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. PT
This webinar explores regulatory and statutory requirements, establishing 2022 base costs and the streamlined process for funding collection projects through the online portal, including application, approval criteria, service agreements, reporting requirements, and payment options. We'll also outline some examples of funding scenarios for collection jurisdictions and service providers.
Reimbursement MRF Cost Analysis
Oct. 21, 2025, 1-2 p.m. PT
This webinar details regulatory and statutory requirements, and the process to establish 2022 base costs for MRF funding. We will review the model developed by local California consultants to assess the unique costs at MRFs across the state, and criteria used in this model. During the webinar, we will also provide an overview of the application and approval process for MRF projects, including payment options and funding scenarios.
Responsible End Markets (REMs)
Oct. 22, 2025, 10-11 a.m. PT
This webinar presents two aspects of REMs: how they are verified against the REM requirements in rules and how CAA will support end market development. The first section details the verification process, including preliminary Oregon results applicable to California and the current status of standard setting development. The second section explores preliminary end market gaps, materials strategy and possible high-level scenarios CAA is considering to develop, support, and sustain viable end markets.
Education & Outreach
Oct. 23, 2025, 9-10 a.m. PT
This webinar outlines CAA’s education and outreach (E&O) strategy, focusing on collaboration, best practices and measurement. We'll also dive into California's specific approach, including statutory obligations, consumer research themes and next steps.
Fee-Setting Methodology and Allocation of Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund
Oct. 28, 2025, 1-2 p.m. PT
This webinar introduces the CAA national fee-setting methodology, covering its principles, data inputs, Cost to Manage Index (CTM), calculation flows and how it applies to SB 54 requirements. Key content includes fee-setting data inputs, budget development, allocation of the Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund (PPMF) and other fee-setting elements.
Source Reduction Requirements and Compliance Strategy
Oct. 30, 2025, 10-11:30 a.m. PT
This webinar clarifies compliance targets and CAA's approach to completing source reduction plans. It details CAA's efforts to facilitate compliance and present the source reduction incentive framework, covering its principles, objectives, research learnings, instruments, quotas, caps, values, implementation timing and pre-conditions for credit trading.
Reuse and Refill
Nov. 4, 2025, 1-2 p.m. PT
This webinar explores California's reuse and refill landscape, including known infrastructure gaps and barriers identified, as well as opportunities to expand reuse/refill state-wide. It will also discuss avenues CAA is considering to achieve reuse, refill, and elimination targets through infrastructure investment, retailer engagement, and enabling consumer behavior change.
Eco-modulation Approach Including Source Reduction Incentives
Nov. 6, 2025, 10-11:30 a.m. PT
This webinar discusses the eco modulation focus under SB 54 with a strong focus on source reduction levers that will be crucial for achieving producer source reduction goals by 2027, 2030, and 2032. We'll also provide a snapshot of statutory eco-modulation requirements across EPR-enacted states.