After several commendable legislative attempts via bills introduced by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, Senator Ben Allen, and others over the years that would have put the state on a path to reduce plastic waste failed due to fierce lobbying by special interests, there is renewed hope for progress. The issue will now be brought directly to YOU, the people who support real action, in 2022 via ballot initiative.

The California Plastic Waste Reduction Regulations Initiative (2022) has garnered the requisite 600,000 signatures to qualify for the November 2022 ballot.

What would the ballot initiative do?
The ballot initiative would require the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery (CalRecycle), in consultation with other agencies, to adopt regulations that reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging and foodware, including:

• • requiring producers to ensure that single-use plastic packaging and foodware is recyclable, reusable, refillable, or compostable by 2030;
  • requiring producers to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic packaging or foodware that CalRecycle determines is unnecessary for product or food item delivery;
  • requiring producers to reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging and foodware sold in California by at least 25 percent by 2030;
  • requiring producers to use recycled content and renewable materials in the production of single-use plastic packaging and foodware;
  • establishing “mechanisms for convenient consumer access to recycling,” including take-back programs and deposits;
  • establishing and enforcing labeling standards to support the sorting of discarded single-use plastic packaging and foodware; and
  • prohibiting food vendors from distributing expanded polystyrene food service containers.

The ballot initiative would also enact a fee, called the California Plastic Pollution Reduction Fee, on single-use plastic packaging and foodware. CalRecycle would determine the fee amount with a maximum amount of 1 cent per item of packaging or foodware. Beginning in 2030, the fee would be adjusted based on changes in the California Consumer Price Index. Revenue from the tax would be distributed to CalRecycle, the California Natural Resources Agency, and local governments.

Although our personal wish would be for the mandates to be effective sooner than 2030, we look forward to supporting and voting for this important groundbreaking law.

Also, some good news from my home town, the Laguna Beach City Council, led by the Environmental Sustainability Committee, (which I am fortunate to be on and Vice Chair of) passed an ordinance banning single-use plastic containers and straws in Laguna Beach parks, beaches, and trails.

We are thrilled the council voted unanimously to support this landmark ordinance, and thank the members for working with our committee and city staff to see it through and expedite into law this year.

As part of this Plan to reduce the impacts of litter on our beaches, oceans, parks, and neighborhoods, the Laguna Beach City Council has adopted an ordinance updating the City’s plastic pollution policy. Beginning Thursday, July 15, 2021,single-use plastic food ware items are prohibited from all Laguna Beach trails, parks and beaches. The sale, use, and distribution of single-use, to-go plastic or polystyrene food ware items, including bioplastics, are also no longer permitted within the City of Laguna Beach, including:

• • • Plastic beverage straws
    • Plastic stirrers
    • Plastic cutlery
    • Plastic take-out bags

To help businesses, restaurants, visitors and residents get started on the Path to Plastic Free, the City of Laguna Beach is launching an informational outreach campaign and providing an online information toolkit and vendor and distributor resources.