Food Technology Magazine | Applied Science

How to Achieve EPR-Forward Packaging

In this two-part series, the author explores the history of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), what is needed to help EPR succeed, and how brands can best prepare for EPR.

By Claire Koelsch Sand

April 5, 2024

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is coming to the United States. Packaging EPR was proposed in 14 states in 2023 and enacted within California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon. EPR is an environmental policy approach that uses eco-modulation to determine the cost for the entire packaging life cycle. Resulting tariffs are assigned by package material weight and cost of disposal, with recycling having the lowest tariff. The core benefit of EPR is lowering the environmental impact of packaging by…

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About the Author

Claire Koelsch Sand, PhD, contributing editor, is CEO of Packaging Technology and Research and Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University and California Polytechnic State University ([email protected]).