Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa takes notes during a July 16 U.S. House hearing discussing improvements to the recycling industry. | Photo courtesy U.S. House of Representatives
Two new policy proposals seeking to improve components of the U.S. recycling system came up during a Congressional hearing this month, and industry stakeholders offered their thoughts on how the federal government can best support the recycling sector. Continue Reading
CalRecycle held a public workshop on California’s textiles EPR law to outline the future of its implementation and allow businesses and industry groups to comment on the effects of the law. | Vejo/Shutterstock
Business owners, potential producer responsibility organizations and industry experts gathered virtually and in person last week to ask California regulators questions about the state’s recently passed textile EPR law and give input on its implementation. Continue Reading
Container deposit proposals saw significant progress in Texas, Maryland and Rhode Island, but did not pass in any state. | Stella Photography/Shutterstock
As state legislative sessions for the year have largely concluded, supporters of container deposit legislation recently reflected on a year that brought new twists on how bottle bills are proposed and saw support from some unlikely stakeholders. Continue Reading
Coloradans are working to implement a series of recycling-related policies, which sometimes support and sometimes oppose each other. | Gargonia/Shutterstock
When it comes to recycling, most policy is set at the state level — but not all of it. When city ordinances, state law and a governor’s priorities all interact, it can be a recipe for both significant change and serious complexity.
A recently introduced bill could allow a proposed solid waste facility in Lane County, Oregon, to bypass its turbulent permitting process. | Courtesy of Bulk Handling Systems
Officials in Lane County, Oregon, are pushing state lawmakers to support a new bill that would allow the construction of a controversial recycling and composting facility. Continue Reading
Extended producer responsibility for packaging bill S 1464 passed out of the Senate on May 28 with a vote of 33-25, but did not get a vote in the Assembly. | Real Window Creative/Shutterstock
The 2025 legislative session in New York ended, and legislators’ hopes to pass extended producer responsibility for packaging this year did as well. Continue Reading
On opposite sides of the country, Maine and California are both adjusting their bottle bills. | Billion Photos/Shutterstock
California is finalizing the implementation of changes to its deposit return system for beverage containers, while Maine legislators sent a bill to the governor that would delay previous passed changes. Continue Reading
Oregon’s bottle bill, the oldest in the nation, could see some changes. | Veja/Shutterstock
Oregon state lawmakers recently approved a bill that allows the state to designate new redemption centers in Portland tailored toward canners — people who redeem containers on a daily or near-daily basis — and to allow retailers operating nearby to provide fewer redemption services. Continue Reading
Using data including state litter studies, the bill moved farther along than previous efforts, lending optimism to its potential to pass in 2027. | Andrew Yahin/Shutterstock
A bipartisan bill in Texas to introduce a bottle deposit return system ran out of time for a state House vote, but supporters see cause for optimism after a strong showing during the recently concluded biennial legislative session.
The final bill builds on previous legislation, resulting in an EPR program that will take shape in 2028. | Evan Lorne/Shutterstock
After five years of work and many interim steps, Maryland became the sixth U.S. state to pass extended producer responsibility legislation for paper and packaging, continuing the policy’s evolution in the country.