Moving Targets: Multi-State EPR Packaging Laws—Key Updates & Deadlines

Across the country, states are enacting so called "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR) laws aimed at reducing plastic waste and shifting the cost of recycling these plastics from the consumer back to the producer. This is done primarily by establishing a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), an entity to which producers join and pay fees. The PRO then implements and funds waste management, recycling, and waste reduction practices. At least five states have already enacted EPR laws, and more are considering them. Businesses that sell materials covered by the laws, broadly single-use packaging and single-use foodware, will need to keep up with developments and deadlines in these laws to make sure they comply.