CA AB842

Establishes a stewardship program requiring producers of single-use plastic packaging and products to form or join a stewardship organization to develop source reduction, recovery, and recycling programs, with plans due within 6 months of department regulations adoption.

Requires all single-use plastic packaging and products sold in California to be easily recyclable or compostable starting January 1, 2023, and to contain 75% postconsumer recycled content starting January 1, 2035.

Imposes per-unit administrative penalties on producers: $0.01 for hard-to-recycle items, $0.02 for nonrecyclable items (beginning 2023), and $0.01 for items lacking required recycled content (beginning 2035).

Stewardship organizations must spend minimum 80% of annual funding on program implementation, maintain reserves not exceeding 20% of operating expenses, and pay quarterly administrative fees to cover department regulatory costs.

Establishes two penalty accounts: Circular Economy Penalty Account for stewardship violations and Single-Use Plastic Packaging and Products Penalty Account for recycling standard violations, with 75% of penalty funds directed to disadvantaged communities.