New Publication: What's in California Landfills: Measuring Single-Use Packaging and Plastic Food Service Ware Disposed (2025)  

Preliminary Findings Published June 30, 2025 

Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 42061(a)(2)-(3) requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to conduct a material characterization study of covered material categories and determine the approximate amount of those materials destined for final deposition at California landfills. To meet this requirement, CalRecycle conducted a statewide material characterization study to characterize and measure the amount of covered materials landfilled in California. Pursuant to Section 42061(a)(3), CalRecycle published the preliminary findings report (DRRR-2025-1755) on June 30, 2025.  

The preliminary findings, entitled “What's in California Landfills: Measuring Single-Use Packaging and Plastic Food Service Ware Disposed (2025),” comprises two parts:

• A preliminary findings report that provides estimates of the amount of covered material landfilled in California, by weight (tons) and as a proportion of total material landfilled statewide. Please note that additional analysis is being conducted on the data, and CalRecycle expects to publish an update to this report in August of 2025
• An appendix detailing the field methodology, data processing, and calculations used to generate the results presented in the preliminary findings report. CalRecycle expects to publish an update to the appendix in August of 2025 along with the expected update to the main report.