Back to Top

Tag Archives: EPR/Stewardship

Oregon offers first test as EPR rules take shape

Published: October 21, 2025
Updated:

by

Susan Cornish told the PPRC audience that packaging EPR aims to build circularity through producer fees, stronger data and shared standards as states move to align their rules. | Courtesy Recycling Today

At the Paper and Plastics Recycling Conference in Chicago, industry leaders said extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging are changing how the US handles residential recycling, but warned that uneven state rules will slow the transition.

Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

Coated paper group plans for EPR rollouts

Published: October 21, 2025
Updated:

by

The Poly Coated Paper Alliance unveiled a plan to expand coated paper recycling in the US by closing data gaps, growing markets, unifying design guidance and improving outreach. | PixelMe / Shutterstock

A coalition of paper and packaging leaders is launching a national effort to make poly coated paper products, such as cups and ice cream tubs, a routine part of curbside recycling.

Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

New momentum for reuse as policy talks expand

Published: October 14, 2025
Updated:

by

At Washington’s Common Threads forum, Rachel Kibbe urged states to exempt secondhand purchases from sales tax to boost reuse and build recycling markets as EPR proposals advance. | Ernest-Rose/Shutterstock

Editors note: Join us at the 2026 Resource Recycling Conference where we’ll dive deeper into the topic of reuse.

At a recent Washington Department of Ecology webinar focused on how policy can shift fashion toward reuse, circular-economy advocate Rachel Kibbe argued that a targeted tax change could make secondhand purchases more affordable while helping states prepare for new recycling rules. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

Study maps barriers to firms’ supply chain climate goals

Published: October 14, 2025
Updated:

by

Although the study from MIT addressed broader climate-related goals, the results provided insight into what drives companies to pursue sustainability initiatives. | Tada Images/Shutterstock

Key Takeaways:

  • Making climate goals public encourages follow-through
  • Supplier opacity, unclear calculations hinder Scope 3 reporting 
  • Global company targets resist shifts in policy

Publicly articulating clear sustainability goals helps ensure company follow-through, according to an annual supply chain study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged , |

Colorado approval signals path forward for PRO choice

Published: October 6, 2025
Updated:

by

The Lubricants Packaging Management Association became the first independent producer responsibility organization to gain approval in a state EPR program. | Air Images / Shutterstock

Although a designated producer responsibility organization (PRO) receives much of the attention for any state’s emerging extended producer responsibility (EPR) plan for packaging, independent PROs quietly address more specialized needs. Continue Reading

Casella marks gains, hurdles in 2025 progress report

Published: September 30, 2025
Updated:

by

Based in Vermont, Casella Waste Systems said efficiency improvements, customer partnerships and investment in infrastructure remain central to reaching its 2030 targets | Nordroden / Shutterstock

Casella Waste Systems emphasized both progress and challenges in its 2025 sustainability report, pointing to growth in recycling and community engagement. Continue Reading

Posted in News | Tagged |

CalRecycle opens comment again for SB 54 rules

Published: September 3, 2025
Updated:

by
California flag and U.S. flag with blue sky background.

The draft regulations have seen several iterations, drawing criticism from industry stakeholders. | Rarrarorro/Shutterstock

California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has opened the public comment period for its latest draft of regulations for the state’s extended producer responsibility law for packaging, which have drawn criticism from industry stakeholders.
Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged |

Avoiding EPR pitfalls requires careful, thoughtful approach

Published: September 1, 2025
Updated:

by
Reverse-vending-machine-aleks333-Shutterstock

Reverse vending machines are one component of some deposit return systems | Aleks333/Shutterstock

Takeaways in two minutes (or less)

  • Watch, wait and learn from the “starter seven”
  • Focus first on expanding bottle deposit systems
  • Highlight economic impact to gain bipartisan support
  • Kentucky, Tennessee, Carolinas primed for action
  • Learn from the Canadian experience

 

In an active year for legislation aimed at reducing plastic pollution and waste, recycling stakeholders have a bevy of lessons to draw from, even with bills that have come under attack or didn’t quite pass. Continue Reading

Lawsuit takes aim at packaging EPR in Oregon

Published: August 5, 2025
Updated:

by
The State of Oregon seal at a park in Salem, Ore.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors says the state’s newly active packaging EPR law is unfair and ineffective. | JPL Designs/Shutterstock

Editor’s Note: EPR compliance will be featured in sessions at the 2026 Resource Recycling Conference, Feb. 23-25 in San Diego, California.  Continue Reading

Posted in News, Top stories | Tagged , |