ABOUT US
The mission of Californians Against Waste is to protect communities by eliminating the pollution inherent in the extraction and disposal of natural resources. CAW believes in preventing waste at its source and holding producers responsible throughout a product's lifecycle to transition California to a thriving circular economy.
Founded in 1977, Californians Against Waste is a non-profit environmental research and advocacy organization that identifies, develops, promotes and monitors policy solutions to pollution and conservation problems posing a threat to public health and the environment. Californians Against Waste's history has demonstrated it to be the nation's oldest and most effective non-profit environmental organization advocating for the implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs.
LEGISLATION AT THE SOURCE.
Californians Against Waste believes that when manufacturers are required to internalize the environmental externalities (costs) of material extraction, processing and manufacturing pollution, and end-of-life waste management in a product price, the market-place motivates them to reduce consumption, replace virgin resources with recycled materials, reduce toxicity and waste, design for maximum life and recyclability, and generally improve sustainability. This concept of Producer Responsibility lies at the root of virtually every legislative policy that CAW has pursued for the last 42 years.
OUR WORK INCLUDES:
The development of policies and incentives to motivate manufacturers to reduce toxicity and waste, design for recyclability, and increase use for recycled materials.
Lobbying policymakers to implement and extend producer responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products and processes.
The design of programs and funding policies that provide the public with information and convenient opportunities for recycling and responsible waste management.
OUR FUNDING
As reflected in our annual Financial Statements, the work of Californians Against Waste and our sister organization, the Californians Against Waste Foundation, is funded primarily from grants and small contributions from individuals.
CAW also hosts an annual birthday fundraising party during the summer.
Contributions for the research and public education work of Californians Against Waste Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, are tax deductible. Contributions to the grassroots organizing and lobbying work of Californians Against Waste, a 501(c)4 non-profit organization, are not tax deductible.