California SB 54 phases out expanded polystyrene foam foodware unless producers meet aggressive recycling targets. Stockton restaurants and packers should expect EPS clamshells, cups, and trays to disappear from the supply chain by 2026.
Senate Bill 54, signed in 2022, prohibits the sale or distribution of expanded polystyrene foodware in California unless producers prove a 25 percent recycling rate in 2025 and higher rates in later years. CalRecycle has confirmed those targets will not be met, so EPS foodware sales are scheduled to end statewide. Stockton businesses currently using EPS clamshells, cups, plates, or trays should transition to fiber, PLA, or recyclable plastic alternatives. The law is part of California's broader Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, which targets a 25 percent reduction in single-use plastic packaging by 2032 and full recyclability or compostability of covered material.
Distributing prohibited EPS foodware after the statutory phase-out date can subject producers and large retailers to civil penalties under SB 54 and CalRecycle enforcement actions.
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