Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging
Packaging compliance is changing. Your strategy shouldn't fall behind.
If you sell packaged products in the U.S., a new kind of packaging cost is showing up on your radar: Extended Producer Responsibility. It's not a trend. It's the law in a growing list of states, and it's already changing how brands need to think about material and format.
Extended Producer Responsibility, Explained
EPR shifts the cost of managing packaging waste from cities and towns to the companies that put that packaging on the market. Producers register with an approved organization, report what packaging they use, and pay fees based on material type and volume.
Financial Shift
Producers now fund the collection and recycling costs cities used to carry.
Design Incentives
Fees are adjusted to reward packaging that's more recyclable, so material choice matters more than ever.
Program Funding
Fees generate resources to improve and expand local recycling infrastructure.
Seven States, Seven Timelines
Most of these programs run through the same producer responsibility organization, so a brand selling in several of these states is looking at overlapping obligations, not separate ones.
Colorado EPR Compliance Status
Mandatory producer fees active since January 2026.
Oregon EPR Compliance Status
Fully active. Registration and reporting deadlines already in effect.
California EPR Compliance Status
SB 54 regulations finalized. Full obligations begin 2027.
Maine EPR Compliance Status
First state to enact a packaging EPR law. Program still forming.
Minnesota EPR Compliance Status
Enacted, rolling out reporting requirements.
Maryland EPR Compliance Status
Enacted, rolling out reporting requirements.
Washington EPR Compliance Status
Enacted, limited small-business exemptions.
This Changes Packaging Decisions, Not Just Paperwork
EPR fees are tied directly to what your packaging is made of. Material, format, and recyclability aren't just design questions anymore. They're compliance questions with a dollar amount attached, and that amount is different in every state where you sell.
The earlier packaging and compliance strategy get discussed together, the fewer expensive surprises show up later.
Four Things Worth Doing Now
Know Your Exposure
Know which states you sell into, and which EPR laws already apply to you.
Classify Your Materials
Understand how your current materials are classified, since fees vary widely by type.
Design for Reduction
Build source reduction and recyclability into new packaging from the start, not as a retrofit.
Talk to Us Early
Bring your packaging partner into the conversation before a redesign is the only option left.
Get in Touch
Ready to get ahead of EPR?
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