American Sustainable Business Network applauds the bold and necessary action taken by California Senator Ben Allen, Chair Luz Rivas of the Natural Resources Committee, California Governor Gavin Newsom and many others to address the plastic pollution crisis and advance policy solutions to reduce waste at the source. Under the new comprehensive bill, California will have ensured that, by 2032, 65 percent of single-use packaging will be recycled, reused or composted and an overall 25 percent drop in single-use plastic.

“SB 54 sets an important precedent to address the single use plastic issue creating a strong yet flexible policy that has input and buy-in from stakeholders all across the value chain,” said David Levine, President and Co-founder at ASBN. “Policies like SB 54 that have transparency and accountability built into its DNA will be key to maintaining trust and promoting continuous progress driving business innovation.”

The same day that Governor Newsome signed SB 54 into law, ASBN’s Director of Circular Economy, Stephanie Erwin also testified at the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change to discuss the national need for policies that can transform the recycling system and divest from single-use and virgin plastic particularly in food products and beverage containers. 

During the legislative hearing entitled, No Time to Waste: Solutions for America’s Broken Recycling System, Erwin urged the court to identify effective solutions and policy options that comprehensively address challenges at each stage in the product life cycle from R&D and design to extraction, production, distribution, use, and end-of-use or end-of-life.

“The use of plastic across the board comes with significant costs to the current and future economic well-being of large segments of US consumer markets, businesses, business supply chains, and the environment in a linear take-make-waste economy,” said Erwin. “Enacting policy action at the federal level will help shift the agenda towards more circular innovation and practices, which will contribute to the growth of a strong, vibrant and resilient economy.” 

For more on ASBN’s involvement in the passage of SB 54, read our recent blog, If State’s Aren’t Paying Attention to California’s Landmark Plastic Pollution Policy, They Should. To watch the full legislative hearing and Erwin’s testimony, visit the livestream on the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s YouTube channel.