​Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws for packaging exist in five U.S. states: Maine, California, Oregon, Colorado, and Minnesota. These laws make producers financially and logistically responsible for managing packaging waste. Eco-modulation fees, which reduce costs for sustainable packaging choices, are a key feature. Maine was first (2021), foll...

​We've heard about it many times. Expanded polystyrene (sometimes called Styrofoam) food containers are some of the most frequently banned items in the US. Businesses have used biodegradable alternatives, with varying degrees of success. However, the sticking point for both individual and business compliance is that each place in the US can make its own l...

​The Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (SB 707) is California's latest effort to tackle the increasing problem of textile waste. The act establishes a framework to manage the lifecycle of textiles, encouraging recycling, repair, and reuse to prevent millions of tons of post-consumer textile waste from ending up in landfills. With fast fashion contr...

The US Plastics Pact is a voluntary initiative based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global commitment. This pact involves cooperation between businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to drive the transition towards a circular economy for plastics by reducing waste, improving recycling, and redesigning plastic packaging. Previously...

​Maine is one of the first states to begin implementing packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. This law requires brands and packaging industry players to take financial responsibility for materials in the state's recycling system. Currently, four states are actively working to set up the operational framework for these programs.Main...

Post-consumer recycled (PCR) content is a term that refers to materials that have been used and then recovered from products that have been disposed of by consumers, such as plastic bottles, aluminium cans, and paper. These materials are then recycled and used to make new products. This is a topic that has been gaining significant traction in the United S...

​If you are reading this blog, you probably recognise the chasing arrows symbol from packaging that you interact with on a daily basis. However, you might not know what it means, or the history behind it. The symbol has actually become problematic for recycling, which is why we have started to see some governments legislating on the use of the symbol. The...

​Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging has seen rapid growth in the United States over the last 2 years. Four states have already passed EPR legislation, with seventeen more states having proposed EPR bills during their 2022 legislative sessions. The perspective of EPR in the United States is centred on the financials of waste management, t...

​This year has been groundbreaking for extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation in the United States. On June 3rd this year, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 22-1355 into law, joining California, Oregon and Maine as the first four US states to pass this form of legislation.Colorado's EPR law affects producers of packaging and cert...

​In the United States, post-consumer recycled content (PCR) requirements for packaging are starting to be established by several state governments. These laws largely apply to plastics, but most packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills introduced this legislative session either include PCR requirements by material type, for all materials, or...

This article was updated on 11th August.On 12th July, Maine's governor signed a bill to establish a statewide packaging EPR program into law. Weeks later, on 6th August, a bill for packaging, printed paper and food service ware EPR passed into law in Oregon. This means that the first packaging extended producer responsibility schemes will soon come into f...

This article was updated on 26th August 2021.This blog is part of a wider series from Lorax EPI, taking a deep-dive into the current and future landscapes for packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations on a global scale.When it comes to packaging EPR in North America, legislation tends to be regionally focused rather than nationally capt...

​On 17 May 2021, the Governor of Washington State signed a bill into law which bans several expanded polystyrene items, mandates post-consumer recycled content in certain packaging and requires some producer reporting.By 1 April 2022 and annually thereafter, producers of plastic trash bags, plastic beverage containers and household cleaning and personal c...