Producer Working Group Meeting #8
The Producer Working Group (PWG) is a monthly opportunity for producers, their legal representatives, and trade associations to learn about and discuss priority producer issues. Please do not share this content beyond the group.
June 11, 2024
Presentation
Key Takeaways
1. Next Step for Registered Producers: Participant Agreement. CAA will share an overview of CAA’s Participant Agreement at the next Producer Working Group meeting on July 16. The Participant Agreement will outline terms and conditions, confidentiality, and verification and auditing requirements for producers. Registered producers should encourage their legal counsel to attend the July 16 PWG.
2. California’s EPR law requires that the PRO (CAA) reduce plastic packaging and foodservice ware by 25% by weight and component by 2032. CAA will work with each covered producer on a source reduction plan that will outline how each producer of plastic packaging and foodservice ware will contribute to the overall source reduction target.
The following options are included as ways to accomplish California’s source reduction targets:
Elimination of Plastic Component or Switch to Reuse/Refill - No less than 10% of the source reduction target must be met by either eliminating a plastic component, or by switching from plastic packaging to reusable or refillable packaging.
Post-Consumer Recycled Content – No more than 8% of the source reduction target can be met through the inclusion of post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging.
Optimization of Plastic Packaging – The remainder of the source reduction target can be met through processes such as eliminating, right-sizing, concentrating, or using bulk or large formatting packaging.
In addition to the 25% target by 2032, the PRO must also achieve a 10% target by 2027, and a 20% target by 2030. All source reduction targets must be measured against a 2023 baseline, which will be established by CalRecycle through one of its five needs assessment studies.
3. CAA’s Program Plan consultation process is now underway. CAA will be collecting feedback from various stakeholders, which will be used to inform CAA’s Colorado program plan development. Outreach will take the form of email invitations to participate in consultation sessions and questionnaires. CAA will host a dedicated producer feedback session.
Top Producer Questions
For a more Frequently Asked Questions, please visit CAA’s FAQ page.
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California – Single-use packaging and plastic single-use foodservice ware used in consumer packaging and for business to business.
Oregon – Packaging, printing and writing paper, and foodservice ware used in consumer packaging and business to business.
Colorado – Packaging, paper products, and foodservice ware used in consumer packaging.
Maine – Packaging and some foodservice ware used in consumer packaging.
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CAA is currently developing a guidebook for producers and will be offering additional webinars to help producers with reporting. In the meantime, producers can review the CMCs in California and CAA’s proposed reporting categories in Oregon.
California’s draft Covered Material Categories (CMCs) can be found here.
CAA’s proposed reporting categories for Oregon can be found on pages 99-100 of CAA’s program plan.
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CalRecycle’s draft rules will require that producers base their individual source reduction plans on 2023 data. CAA recognizes that producers may not have collected relevant 2023 data and has suggested through public comment that producers be able to use 2025 data as the basis for their individual source reduction plans.
Producers will be required to report Q1 and Q2 2025 data to CAA in August 2025. CAA will provide additional details about timing of individual source reduction plans to producers in the coming months.
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