California Source Reduction Compliance Checklist

Every deadline, every obligation, and the five approved pathways — in one place.

California's source reduction mandates are among the most demanding packaging regulations in the country. Every producer selling packaged products in California must now submit a source reduction report by May 31, 2026, and a binding Individual Source Reduction plan by August 1, 2026.

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The target is a 25% cumulative plastic reduction from your 2023 baseline — measured by both weight and component count. The reduction is absolute, with no adjustment for sales growth. Noncompliance penalties can reach $50,000 per day.

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This checklist breaks it all down step by step so your team knows exactly what to do and when.

What's inside:

How to establish and validate your 2023 baseline before the 30-day re-submission window closes in April
The five approved source reduction pathways and how to classify your packaging changes correctly
What to include in your Annual Source Reduction Report (due May 31) and your ISR Plan (due August 1)
PCR rules — what counts, what doesn't, and why only incremental PCR above your 2023 baseline earns credit
The full California deadline timeline from now through 2027

Download the Checklist

100+

brands helped with EPR in 2025

120+

reports filed across all EPR states

10k

tons of packaging processed

3 months

of work average saved per client

Need to make the business case to leadership?

Source reduction is new territory for everyone. If you want help building your plan, our compliance team has been through it with 100+ brands. Book a 30-minute call and we'll tell you where you stand.