unPacked: Making Sense of California's Plastic Source Reduction Guidance

CAA just released the source reduction guidance and reporting workbook. There's a lot to it.

We've read it so you don't have to start from scratch.

Every California producer now needs to develop an Individual Source Reduction plan, sign an enforceable agreement with CAA, and start reporting progress by May 31. The plan itself is due no later than August 1.

The target is a 25% cumulative plastic reduction from your 2023 baseline — measured by both plastic weight AND number of components. There's no adjustment for sales growth, which means fast-growing brands need to think carefully about how to model this. And the classification of your packaging initiatives matters more than you'd expect. The same change can have very different compliance value depending on which pathway it falls under.

It's complex. But it's manageable when you understand the structure and have the right partner guiding you.

Svetlana and Lowell will break down the guidance, the math, and the strategic decisions you need to make so you can build a defensible plan with confidence.

What we're covering:

1. The guidance decoded: What CAA is actually requiring, what's still TBD, and a walkthrough of the reporting workbook
2. The five approved pathways and how to classify your packaging initiatives correctly
3. Modeling for growth: Why sales increases can erase legitimate packaging improvements on paper, and how to plan around it
4. PCR, historical credit, and the bonus/malus mechanism: What counts, what doesn't, and what's coming May 1
5. What to file and when: May 31 reporting, August 1 plan deadline, and how to sequence your prep

Key dates:

• May 1: CAA publishes illustrative fees and source reduction incentive mechanism
• May 31: First source reduction annual report due (2025 data year)
• No later than August 1: Individual Source Reduction plan deadline

Office Hours (final 30 minutes)

After the presentation, we turn the recording off for 30 minutes of open Q&A. No slides. No recording. Come off mute, go on camera, or drop your questions in the chat. We answered 40+ questions on last unPacked episode. This is your chance to get yours answered.

Who should attend:

Sustainability leads, packaging directors, regulatory and compliance teams, and anyone building the source reduction plan for their company.

This is new territory for everyone. We're here to help you navigate it.