CAA now approved to implement Extended Producer Responsibility laws in California and Colorado and represent producers in Maryland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: media@circularaction.org  

Circular Action Alliance (CAA) has been selected by CalRecycle as the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for the state’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54, Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022). As the inaugural, single PRO, CAA will help all producers of single-use packaging and plastic food service ware meet the requirements of California’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law and advance the state’s goals of preventing plastic pollution and building a circular economy.

SB 54 requires producers of residential and commercial single-use packaging and plastic food service ware to join a PRO and, through the PRO, fund the recycling of those materials and manage other end of life considerations.

“The selection of CAA to implement California’s EPR program is a tremendous honor and further advances our vision to build a circular economy for packaging at scale across the United States,” said Charlie Schwarze, CAA Board Chair and Senior Director of Sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper. “CAA is composed of some of the most respected companies in food, beverage, consumer goods and retail that have come together to deliver harmonized best-in-class compliance services, scale innovation, and build systems that help both companies and consumers waste less and recycle more.”

CAA has supported producers and worked collaboratively to prepare for SB 54 implementation since the organization’s formation in 2022. Throughout 2023, CAA participated in CalRecycle’s informal rulemaking process, built relationships with local stakeholders, and developed organizational capacity.

In 2023, CAA became the first PRO approved to implement an EPR program for paper and packaging in the U.S. after being appointed as the single PRO for Colorado by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. CAA was also selected by the Maryland Department of Environment to represent producer interests and serve as the single PRO on the State Producer Responsibility Advisory Council. Further, CAA intends to submit an EPR program plan to become a PRO in Oregon.

About Circular Action Alliance:

Circular Action Alliance (CAA) is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization established to support the successful implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws for paper and packaging. CAA intends to operate as a PRO in states that have enacted EPR laws for paper and packaging to deliver harmonized best-in-class compliance services, scale innovation, and build systems that help both companies and consumers waste less and recycle more. CAA was formed by 18 companies from the food, beverage, consumer goods and retail industries in response to the passage of EPR laws in California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon. These companies are united in their vision to create a circular economy for paper and packaging across the United States. To learn more, visit www.circularactionalliance.org.