Extended producer responsibility (EPR) mandates for packaging are on the way, and I have two words of advice for packaging companies in 2024: Get prepared.
Four states – California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon – already have EPR laws on the books. Nearly a dozen other states considered EPR legislation in 2023, and more are certain to follow in 2024. The regulations for these newly established EPR programs are still emerging, but statewide collection lists and performance goals are starting to form for various packaging attributes (recyclability, recycled content, source reduction) and materials (glass, paper, plastics, metals). We know that producers will have to join and report specific data to a producer responsibility organization (PRO).