Five U.S. states have passed laws on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and the first, in Oregon, is reaching critical milestones that companies need to prepare for by early 2025.

What does this mean for businesses?
Companies in scope of the EPR law in Oregon will need to report their data by March 31, 2025, with fees due in 2025 too. Closely following, Colorado and California will require data reporting later in 2025. This means that companies need to have data on the packaging they use, consumer-level and, for some states, business-to-business packaging, along with some products such as storage containers and paper products (e.g., envelopes), and also be prepared to pay the EPR fees - so develop a budget for this now.

Pure Strategies can help your company shift to more sustainable packaging.
Pure Strategies can help you proactively manage this to meet the needs of these regulations. Typical projects involve:

• Collecting data on packaging used and filling gaps as applicable
• Assessing the sustainability attributes of packaging (e.g., recyclability, recycled content)
• Estimating EPR fees (for budget planning) and modeling ways to reduce fees
• Developing a sustainable packaging strategy, such as goals and a roadmap for making progress
• Providing guidance and training to advance to more sustainable packaging

Recommended next steps.
Now is the time to get packaging data collected and assessed. Oregon's reporting deadline is March 31, 2025. It is also possible to estimate EPR fees to help with 2025 budget planning. Pure Strategies can help you with these and other steps to build a strategic approach to advancing sustainable packaging. Click this link to schedule time with Cheryl Baldwin, Pure Strategies' VP of Sustainability Consulting, to discuss next steps for your business.

Here are other resources to help your sustainable packaging journey:

• Article about the emerging need for more data and more sustainable packaging
• Case studies on our sustainable packaging client work for Perrigo, MilliporeSigma, and Walmart
• Our team also wrote the following packaging guides: Walmart Recycling Playbook, FMI Sustainable Packaging Playbook, and the FMI Sustainable Packaging Assessment Guide

From current regulations to strategic goals, we can help you navigate the reporting and disclosure requirements of the new EPR laws and get the most value to your business while driving to more sustainable packaging.