EPR Think Tank

Although the prospects for a comprehensive federal EPR law remain uncertain, policymakers are considering narrower federal measures that could bring greater consistency to packaging labeling and recycling policy.

This panel will look at where federal intervention may be heading and what it could mean for existing state programs.

• Assessing the political and legislative outlook for federal packaging policy, including the likelihood of comprehensive EPR legislation
• Tracking the PACK Act, the Truth in Labeling Act and any successor proposals governing recyclable, compostable and reusable packaging
• Considering whether a national framework would enable companies to use consistent packaging and labeling across the US, or create another layer of compliance

Other industries have already spent years building producer-funded collection systems, working with retailers and recyclers, and adjusting programs. What valuable lessons can CPG and packaging producers learn from these other industries?

Our panelists will examine which approaches have worked, where costs and operational challenges emerged, and how to manage obligations.

• Comparing how different EPR programs define the producer, assign costs, and hold participants accountable
• Learning what it takes to build efficient collection networks and effective partnerships with retailers, municipalities, and recyclers
• Examining how companies selling electronics or mattresses manage product stewardship alongside EPR packaging

Back by popular demand, state regulators return to share the latest developments in packaging EPR implementation across the United States. This interactive roundtable will explore upcoming milestones, enforcement priorities, and lessons from states at different stages of implementation.

Effective EPR compliance depends on reliable data about what a company sells, where its products go, and how they are packaged.

This session will examine how to move from manual data collection to a scalable process that supports accurate reporting and fee forecasting.

• Establishing clear ownership of packaging data across legal, sustainability, packaging and finance teams
• Collecting and validating material and weight data from suppliers and business units
• Creating consistent records and defensible audit trails to support reported data
• Evaluating what software platforms and external consultants can realistically automate, and where internal review remains essential

California’s SB 54 sets an ambitious 2032 goal for reducing single-use plastic packaging and food service ware.

This panel will examine how companies are turning source-reduction plans into workable changes, and what early efforts are teaching them.

• Forecasting reductions as sales volumes and product mixes change
• Balancing source reduction with food safety, shipping and product protection considerations
• Developing individual source-reduction plans and measuring progress against them

This practical session will help producers assess what packaging falls within scope and what evidence they may need to support a potential exemption.

• Working through common material-classification questions and differences between state programs
• Examining food-contact, health, and safety-related exemptions
• Resolving questions about producer responsibility when products are sold through distributors or move across state lines

This panel will bring stakeholders across the value chain, to discuss which investments are helping, which packaging creates persistent challenges, and what producers need to hear from the people handling their materials.

• Examining how EPR funding is changing collection, sorting, and processing operations
• Identifying packaging formats that facilities can realistically recycle or compost at scale
• Improving communication between producers, packaging designers and operators before materials enter the system

EPR fees have now become a growing business expense and producers need to understand how packaging choices may affect their costs across states. We’ll explore how to better forecast financial exposure, evaluate potential fee incentives, and leverage those insights to make more informed packaging decisions and budget allocations.

• Understanding how material classifications, packaging volumes, and emerging eco-modulation formulas influence fees
• Modelling potential costs across states as fee schedules and program requirements evolve
• Identifying applicable fee adjustments and other opportunities to reduce costs
• Communicating financial exposure, uncertainty, and investment needs to senior leadership

Hear from producers, packaging engineers/manufacturers, and material suppliers on the decisions behind a real packaging change, and whether it can be manufactured, used and recovered in practice.

• Working through equipment, production and operational complications during the pilot
• Examining ways of expanding a successful pilot across facilities, product lines or markets
• Finding workable approaches for packaging formats that remain difficult to recycle