Extended producer responsibility laws are designed to shift the financial responsibility for end-of-life costs onto the companies that produce and put those materials on the market. More than a dozen jurisdictions in North America have adopted EPR laws related to product packaging, with more U.S. states proposing bills and launching needs assessments in the past year.
Naturally, the patchwork of quickly evolving obligations has created confusion for PPAI members. With help from leading sustainability compliance law firm Taft, the Association has revised its 2025 white paper with updated information and links to helpful resources, as well as new best practices for compliance and a decision tree to help determine the obligated party in multi-entity branded merchandise transactions.
- View or download the refreshed State-Level Packaging EPR Laws: A Promo Industry Primer white paper below.
This white paper focuses on the laws associated with single-use packaging and paper waste. Under these state-level mandates, producers of products using such packaging/paper must:
• Register with an organization responsible for implementing these laws.
• Comply with initial and ongoing registration and reporting requirements.
• Pay regular fees for the administration/implementation of packaging EPR programs.
• Achieve published targets for the recycling content/rates or material composition of single-use packaging and paper waste.
Learn more in the document below:
For an up-to-date look at pending state-level legislation on EPR and other industry-relevant topics, view PPAI’s State-Level Tracking page.
