Strategic Directive 5, adopted by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) on February 13, 2007, outlines the Board's commitment to producer responsibility. The directive states that it is a core value of the CIWMB that producers assume the responsibility for the safe stewardship of their materials in order to promote environmental sustainability.

The CIWMB developed five subdirective areas: 1) utilize existing Board authority to implement cradle-to-cradle producer responsibility, 2) seek further statutory authority to widen the scope of CIWMB influence, 3) analyze the feasibility of various approaches to increasing producer responsibility, 4) build expertise on product stewardship issues and solutions, and 5) develop and maintain relationships with affected parties that would participate in producer-financed take-back programs.