Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-01) bipartisan legislation, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, passed the House Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee today, advancing the bill one step closer to full House consideration. The legislation would establish...

California just gave plastic producers until 2032 to make all their packaging recyclable or compostable — the most ambitious deadline in the country. Advocates say it doesn’t go far enough. Producers say it goes too...

Litigation is brewing in California as two major recycling regulations — extended producer responsibility and source reduction law SB 54 and “truth in labeling” law SB 343 — are slated for implementation this year. CalRecycle...

After California finalized SB 54 regulations on May 1, CalRecycle released multiple guidance documents on May 11 addressing some important questions for producers navigating compliance. The extended producer responsibility and source reduction law has big...

The U.S. Plastics Pact (USPP) released a new resource outlining how well-designed policies can accelerate composting infrastructure, support compostable packaging systems, and divert food waste and food-contaminated materials from landfills. Enabling Composting at Scale highlights...

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection still expects producers will owe money this year in conjunction with the state’s extended producer responsibility for packaging law. But actually contracting with a stewardship organization to get that...

The milestone gives way to next compliance steps for the sweeping extended producer responsibility and source reduction law. Circular Action Alliance also published estimated fees for producers. Permanent regulations for SB 54, California’s highly anticipated...

Wet, soggy toilet paper. That’s what New York could have to look forward to. If activists get their way, New York lawmakers could soon enact legislation that will lead to toilet paper, diapers, paper towels,...

A sweeping state recycling bill calls for scores of companies to stop using plastic wrap when packaging products, which critics gripe could leave crucial everyday items such as diapers and toilet paper soggy. The proposed...

Political, PRO and packaging leaders shared their thoughts on the direction EPR is headed, including implications for data management, sustainable design and measuring success. U.S. packaging stakeholders have learned a lot this past year since...

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the leading advocate for the U.S. flexible packaging industry, opposes proposed packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation in New York, A.1749/S.1464. While some positive and negative changes have recently been...

In March 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed specific actions for reversing the 2024 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), a program under the Clean Air Act that regulates emissions of...

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) is clearly against any delay or renegotiation of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Instead, the association is calling for swift, practical guidelines for implementation to ensure compliance with...

Extended Producer Responsibility is moving from concept to compliance, and quickly. During a recent webinar hosted by the Pet Sustainability Coalition titled, “EPR for Pet Brands: Navigating the 2026 Multi-State Deadline,” Lowell Huffman, director of...

Consumers and regulators remain wary of plastics — especially single-use formats — with some calling for their outright elimination. But what would that actually mean at the checkout line? A new study suggests the cost...

The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) recently named Circular Action Alliance (CAA) as the producer responsibility organization (PRO) to lead the implementation of the state’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law. As the designated PRO, CAA...

A year into the “Liberation Day” tariffs, which ultimately imposed a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all imports, packaging companies and their customers are still waiting for the dust to settle, and in some cases...

An Oregon judge offered new clarity this past week on who is temporarily exempt from enforcement of the state’s extended producer responsibility for packaging law, and imposed limits on other groups that want to join...

The Department of Health and Human Services will is introducing a first-of-its-kind program to study microplastics and the effect they have on the human body, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced. Kennedy said the...

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is rapidly reshaping packaging decisions across the pet food industry, but speakers at the Pet Summit during Global Pet Expo emphasized that companies should view the policy framework as more than...

California’s SB 54 (Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act) is among the most stringent Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies globally. While CalRecycle is still refining the final regulations, the statutory performance targets remain....

The EPA’s intent to update the OSWI rule is the latest step in an ongoing debate over how the federal government should categorize pyrolysis under air emissions regulations that currently cover small MSW combustors and...

A coalition of farmers, food producers, restaurants, packaging manufacturers and grocers has filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s Senate Bill 343, calling the law an unconstitutional restriction on free speech that will reduce recycling, confuse...

After the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors secured a preliminary injunction in February, groups representing the paper industry, grocers and other businesses want in. There’s been much speculation that NAW’s action could lead to follow-ons in...

So far this year, the U.S. International Trade Commission has published multiple determinations related to packaging products or materials. These come on top of the commission’s December determination that thermoformed molded fiber products imported from...

There’s a conversation happening in boardrooms and in c-suites right now. It goes something like this: "Did you hear about the EPR lawsuit in Oregon? If they win, we won’t have to do EPR, so...

In this exclusive interview, Zoe Heller, director of CalRecycle, explains how California’s SB 54 packaging EPR law and SB 343 labeling rules will shape packaging design, recyclability claims, and compliance for brands selling into the...