With elections in November, states are feeling pressure to pass legislation on packaging. A continued concern exists about plastic pollution and toxins in the environment and interest in policies to address them via bans and extended producer responsibility.
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Federal and State Advocacy Initiatives
FPA conducts important advocacy work at the federal and state levels. Read updates on current legislature that relates to the flexible packaging industry.
Job Training Remains in Focus as Manufacturing Rebounds
July/August 2024
Explore the employment trends and issues at the national level in the U.S.
Read MoreBreakthroughs in Packaging Laws Could Mark 2024
May/June 2024
Three major issues continue to be at the forefront: EPR for packaging, recyclable labeling claims, and packaging material bans.
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118th Congress Deserves Award for Least Legislation Passed
May/June 2024
This Congress—specifically the U.S. House—found a way to pass bipartisan legislation in critical times by deviating from the regular procedure and using the suspension process.
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States Begin EPR Needs Assessments
March/April 2024
These assessments of state recycling systems will remain crucial in determining ultimately what the cost will be to producers.
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Congress Ponders Packaging Legislation
March/April 2024
Among the issues are recycling, plastic pollutions, and extended producer responsibility.
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California Intensifies Efforts for New Packaging Legislation
Jan/Feb 2024
In 2024 in California, we will see the formal regulations for the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act and new packaging legislation.
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2024 Will Not Be a Quiet Year in Washington
Jan/Feb 2024
While it is unlikely many pieces of consequential legislation will make it to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, we do anticipate a lot of legislative activity where FPA will advocate on behalf of the flexible packaging industry.
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EPR Programs Evolve During 2023
Nov/Dec 2023
Four states have passed extended producer responsibility bills for packaging. Each program is structured differently, which can create confusion.
Read MoreChallenging Legislative Year Coming to a Close
Nov/Dec 2023
As the first session of the 118th U.S. Congress comes to a close, the legislative year ended with few major accomplishments.
Read More118th Congress Confronts Tech Issues
Sept/Oct 2023
As manufacturing floors become more integrated and companies increase investments in technology, technology oversight has become an increasing area of interest.
Read MoreNo New EPR Laws for 2023—So Far
Sept/Oct 2023
This year, we saw legislatures act more cautiously with extended producer responsibility (EPR), pushing through needs-assessment legislation rather than full-blown EPR.
Read More2023 Shaping up to be Odd Year for State Packaging Laws
July/Aug 2023
The year 2023 has proven to be a challenging one for keeping up with state legislative activity in the flexible packaging industry. At the year’s midpoint, it remains to be seen if new standards will be set.
Read MoreWorkforce Issues Capture Attention in Washington
July/Aug 2023
The U.S. workforce is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread shifts to remote- and hybrid-work models, which does not work well for manufacturing jobs that require skilled, hands-on engagement.
Read MoreGridlock Marks Start of 2023 on Capitol Hill
FPA Continues to Monitor Congress and Biden Administration
May/June 2023
The situation in Washington, D.C., as we enter late spring and early summer is pretty much what was anticipated—a Congress that has accomplished little of meaningful substance to date.
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Regulatory Activity Accelerates in Four EPR States
More States Expected to Adopt EPR Laws
May/June 2023
The year 2023 is an incredibly active one for extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, which are now being implemented in the four states that passed EPR laws for packaging—so far. Over the past two years, the initial EPR initiatives passed into law are as follows: Maine’s Legislative Document 1541 in 2021 Oregon’s Senate Bill (SB) […]
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State Debates Will Challenge the Flexible Packaging Industry
March/April 2023
The year 2023 will be another precedent-setting one in terms of how much legislation will be introduced, but it is also a long year following the 2022 elections where Democrats had some notable gains at the state level.
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FPA Continues to Fight Against Unfair Aluminum Tariffs
Deadline for Final Findings Is Extended to July
March/April 2023
The Flexible Packaging Association developed and launched a broad-based outreach campaign to engage members of Capitol Hill and sound the alarm that the flexible packaging industry was once again being unfairly targeted with unwarranted trade actions on aluminum foil.
Read More2023 Activity in States Picks up Where 2021, 2022 Left off
Jan/Feb 2023
The years 2021 and 2022 were unprecedented with groundbreaking new laws in the packaging sector. Four states adopted new extended producer responsibility laws, two states adopted new recycled content mandates for various types of packaging, and California adopted a first-in-the-nation recycling labeling law. The year 2023 will also likely prove to be significant and precedent setting for packaging policy.
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New Congress, Biden Second Term Kick Off 2023
Jan/Feb 2023
With the midterm elections behind us, 2023 kicks off the 118th Congress and marks the second half of President Joe Biden’s first term. As the past several years have taught us, we know we need to expect the unexpected.
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