Dive Brief:
- Producer responsibility organization Circular Action Alliance submitted its revised California extended producer responsibility program plan to CalRecycle on Tuesday, ahead of anticipated implementation in 2027. The 495-page document includes a summary from a 60-day public comment period that brought in more than 2,400 comments that helped inform changes.
- CalRecycle has 75 calendar days to respond with an approval, disapproval, conditional approval, request for additional information or timeline for a decision, CAA noted. The SB 54 advisory board will discuss the revised plan when it meets Friday.
- Separately, CAA on Wednesday announced that founding CEO Jeff Fielkow will leave the organization later this year, with current Chief Strategy Officer Jeff Meyers to serve as interim CEO.
Dive Insight:
CAA published the draft program plan in June, which was followed by a public comment period. On Tuesday, CAA highlighted revisions to sections covering environmental justice, reimbursement, materials strategy and responsible end markets. There are additional details on anticipated costs and fee-setting methodology, the group said.
In the draft version, CAA projected a California program budget of up to $1.87 billion in 2027, with the five-year plan totaling between $9.35 billion and $17.2 billion. The revised version estimates about $1.11 billion in 2027 and between $7.81 billion and $13.1 billion over five years. Part of that drop is due to decreases in projected program reserves, collection and compost capital and operating costs, and reuse and refill-related costs.
In the plan, CAA acknowledged challenges it faced working on a compressed timeline. California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent regulators back to the drawing board on SB 54’s rules early last year, which CAA said resulted in a 16-month delay in having finalized regulations.
As CAA forges ahead, multiple lawsuits still aim to block implementation and enforcement of SB 54. This month, a coalition of packaging groups and other business associations sought to expand their lawsuit targeting California labeling law SB 343 to also challenge SB 54.
Regarding its upcoming leadership transition, CAA said it’s focused on “entering its next phase of growth and implementation” following foundational work.
“Jeff Fielkow joined CAA during the startup phase to help build the organization and establish the capabilities needed to turn policy into effective producer responsibility programs,” CAA said in a news release. “Under his leadership, CAA has developed the national, state and technical foundation that supports implementation across multiple states.”
