At the state level, policy activity around packaging remains busy, especially regarding extended producer responsibility.
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Next Up for EPR: PRO Plans and Implementation
March/April 2025
In each of the five state’s extended producer responsibility laws, the producer responsibility organization’s plans are structured differently with various requirements.
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New Year Brings New State Legislatures and New Packaging Bills
Jan/Feb 2025
As we enter 2025, we are coming off a busy year, with Minnesota passing a new packaging extended producer responsibility law and hundreds of other bills that were mostly defeated but would have created new mandates or banned certain types of flexible packaging.
Read MorePackaging Regulations Roll on
Nov/Dec 2024
The year 2024 has been one of intensive regulatory activity related to extended producer responsibility for packaging in the first four states with laws. These regulations will have a lasting impact on the costs and incentives within the programs.
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Minnesota Becomes 5th State to Pass Packaging EPR Law
Sept/Oct 2024
Even with 2024 being a short year for legislative sessions and the national elections taking center stage this November, some states felt the need to introduce legislation on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
Read MoreState Legislatures Continue Work on Packaging Laws
July/August 2024
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.
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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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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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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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 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.
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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.
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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2022 Wraps Up With California Passing EPR for Packaging
Nov/Dec 2022
The year 2022 was significant and precedent-setting for the flexible packaging industry, with the addition of new state laws that will govern how packaging is made and managed at the end of life. Numerous states debated packaging issues, with two passing and signing extended producer responsibility bills for packaging. Many more states are addressing issues like recycled content mandates, labeling, and toxic chemicals in packaging.
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2022 Sets New EPR Precedents
Sept/Oct 2022
Despite waning energy earlier in the year, a late surge in interest in packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) produced two new EPR laws.
Read MorePackaging EPR Bills Falter, Challenging Policies Remain in Play
July/Aug 2022
Several states are considering proposals that are “simpler solutions” to address packaging in the waste stream. Those concerns continue to be driven by concern over plastic pollution.
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More States Ponder Packaging Policies
May/June 2022
This year, more states are debating packaging issues. These debates, at times, are taking contrasting views over the role of producers in recycling systems and how requirements are developed.
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2022 State Legislative Sessions Heat Up Early
March/April 2022
This year will likely prove to be another significant and precedent-setting year with the addition of several new state laws that will govern how packaging is made and managed at the end of life.
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