California Source Reduction Compliance Checklist

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.
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.
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