October 2025 — Santa Cruz, CA

Twenty Surfrider Foundation chapters and student clubs across California have signed a joint letter urging the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to adopt strong regulations for implementing SB 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.  Thanks to Jennifer Savage, Surfrider’s California Policy Associate Director, Surfrider called for clear accountability from packaging producers to reduce single-use plastics at the source and ensure that responsibility for managing waste falls on corporations—not consumers.

Led by the Santa Cruz Chapter, the coalition called for clear accountability from packaging producers to reduce single-use plastics at the source and ensure that responsibility for managing waste falls on corporations—not consumers.

“We see firsthand the consequences of plastic pollution on our beaches,” said Morganna Johnson, Policy Committee Co-Lead for Surfrider Santa Cruz. “Our volunteers collect thousands of plastic fragments, wrappers, and cigarette butts every year. The burden should not be on consumers, but rather on product producers and retailers to make choices and design products that reflect what is best for the environment and our future. We need upstream solutions, not more cleanup.”

Surfrider's letter, submitted to CalRecycle on October 6, 2025, highlight two major concerns in the current draft regulations:

• Chemical and advanced recycling loopholes that could allow polluting and ineffective technologies to count as recycling.
• Categorical exclusions that shift financial responsibility from producers to local governments and ratepayers, undermining the intent of SB 54.

Surfrider chapters are calling for regulations that:

✅ Prioritize source reduction of plastic packaging
✅ Phase out non-recyclable and non-compostable materials
✅ Enforce accurate labeling under SB 343 and AB 1201
✅ Hold producers fully accountable for end-of-life management

View the letter now >>

California’s SB 54 presents a historic opportunity to significantly reduce plastic pollution. Surfrider chapters across the state—including Santa Cruz, San Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Humboldt, and more—are united in pushing for the strongest possible implementation.

Special thanks to Jennifer Savage, Surfrider’s California Policy Associate Director for coordinating across chapters and uniting everyone in this effort.

Take Action

You can make a difference too. Contact CalRecycle today and urge them to adopt strong, enforceable regulations under SB 54 that hold producers accountable and reduce single-use plastics at the source. Every voice counts in shaping a cleaner, healthier California.

To contact CalRecycle and support the implementation of SB 54, you can use the following methods:

📧 Email
SB 54 Packaging Regulations: Packaging@calrecycle.ca.gov

📞 Phone
Main Line: (916) 322-4027
Toll-Free: 1-800-RECYCLE (732-9253)

📬 Mailing Address
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
P.O. Box 4025
Sacramento, CA 95812-4025

Together, we’re ensuring that producers, not the public, bear the cost of plastic pollution—protecting our ocean, waves, and beaches for generations to come.

Surfrider Santa Cruz Chapter