California lawmakers ban PFAS in food packaging, limit microbeads

The bills now await a decision from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Legislators declined to act on a bill that had backing from plastic recyclers related to recycled content in beverage containers.

By Cole Rosengren • Sept. 15, 2025

How far can EPR drive recycled content uptake?

Questions remain around how to effectively track recycled content in packaging and how to incentivize sourcing recycled material within North America. States such as Colorado are debating this as they enact EPR programs.

By Marissa Heffernan • Sept. 15, 2025

Danone settles 2 plastic packaging lawsuits

Under agreements with the Earth Island Institute and the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the CPG will change certain marketing statements about plastic recycling and contribute funds to plastic packaging reduction efforts.

By Katie Pyzyk • Updated Sept. 15, 2025

Open-source template aims to simplify EPR data reporting

“The intention of this is to enable companies do great things instead of chasing data,” said Matthew Wright of Specright, a member of the Sustainable Packaging Data Council along with Costco, Sonoco and others.

By Maria Rachal • Sept. 4, 2025

Circular Action Alliance taps new California executive director

The role was vacated earlier this year by former CalRecycle director Rachel Wagoner. The new appointment comes as SB 54 rules are still being hashed out and CAA wants producers to report supply data by Nov. 15.

By Maria Rachal • Aug. 28, 2025

‘The EPR era’ brings new opportunities for packaging sustainability

Sustainability leaders from Amcor, Stonyfield and MegaFood shared some of their experiences and outlooks for redesigns during a virtual event Tuesday.

By Maria Rachal • Aug. 27, 2025

Wholesalers shed more light on Oregon packaging EPR legal challenge

Oregon agencies received an extension to respond to the lawsuit until mid-September, per an update Friday. In the meantime, wholesalers are analyzing potential legal issues with EPR laws in other states.

By Maria Rachal • Aug. 25, 2025

Canada to scale back retaliatory tariffs for US imports on Sept. 1

The country will lift levies on goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement while maintaining sector-specific duties on steel, aluminum and cars.

By Philip Neuffer • Aug. 22, 2025

Lawmakers, recyclers call for SB 54 regulations that reflect intent of EPR law

CalRecycle is expected to open the 45-day public comment period on SB 54 rulemaking soon. Circular Action Alliance is asking producers to register by Sept. 5.

By Megan Quinn • Aug. 20, 2025

Driven by EPR, brands to offer film and flexibles funding to California recyclers

General Mills, Mars, PepsiCo and other brands are investing in film and flexible packaging recycling in the state as California implements stricter recycling regulations for the materials under SB 54.

By Megan Quinn • Aug. 18, 2025

CalRecycle in ‘early stage’ of enforcing EPS food service ware ban

Meanwhile, multiple companies have been trying to formally demonstrate a recycling rate of at least 25% for expanded polystyrene in order to stay on the market, but none have been approved yet.

By Maria Rachal • Aug. 15, 2025

Connecticut’s beverage container redemption rate rose 21% in 2024

The Container Recycling Institute says improvements like a 10-cent deposit, more return locations and a broader range of accepted containers boosted redemption rates. Some other bottle bill states saw declines of 1% to 3%.

By Megan Quinn • Aug. 11, 2025

EU delays countermeasures to US tariffs by 6 months

The bloc has now paused countermeasure implementation three times. The measures currently put on hold include additional duties for aluminum and steel products.

By Philip Neuffer • Aug. 5, 2025

After Oregon packaging EPR law launches, wholesaler lawsuit follows

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors filed a complaint last week. The trade group is “reviewing all of the various proposals to implement EPR programs wherever they are being discussed,” a spokesperson said.

By Maria Rachal • Aug. 4, 2025

What recycling and packaging groups are looking for in global plastic treaty talks

At a roundtable event, speakers from Circular Action Alliance, SC Johnson and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce underscored how treaty negotiations will impact recycling supply chains and future business opportunities.

By Megan Quinn • July 31, 2025

FDA gets feedback on proposed front-of-pack nutrition label

Meanwhile, the Consumer Brands Association continues to push for the existing industry-led Facts up Front label.

By Maria Rachal • July 21, 2025

Congressional hearing aims to leverage chemical recycling for economic value

Speakers from the American Chemistry Council, The Recycling Partnership and the Flexible Packaging Association previewed legislation and called for Congress to prioritize recycling efforts through economic policy.

By Megan Quinn • July 17, 2025

Packaging EPR questions circulate after first US state’s law goes live

To report, or not to report: That is an EPR question. Companies learned from their experiences with Oregon’s law, and speakers at the Packaging Recycling Summit shared strategies for easing data reporting and other EPR challenges.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 17, 2025

Bag fees are more effective than outright bans, Closed Loop Partners says

All bags — plastic, paper or reusable — come with environmental tradeoffs. But bag fees are the sole legislative tool “guaranteed to reduce the number of single-use bags used,” Closed Loop Partners reported.

By Maria Rachal • July 16, 2025

Policy tension over on-pack recyclability labeling ‘needs to get worked out’

What's in a label? Good question. As the go-live date for California’s recycling labeling law approaches, industry speakers at the Packaging Recycling Summit underscored the importance of getting some federal standardization soon. 

By Katie Pyzyk • July 14, 2025

Where new packaging laws are taking effect in July

Multiple states are banning EPS foam food containers, and Oregon’s packaging EPR program begins. Elsewhere, there are bottle bill and hotel product updates.

By Maria Rachal • June 30, 2025

Rhode Island lawmakers replace EPR and bottle bill proposal with study bill

The bill, which overhauls a previous version establishing new recycling systems in the state, instead calls for a report and recommendations that might lead to future extended producer responsibility and deposit return system proposals.

By Megan Quinn • June 26, 2025

The last-minute scramble with EPR is like tax season, says CAA’s CEO

“There were sleepless nights” ahead of Oregon's producer reporting deadline, and another “big surge” is expected in the home stretch to Colorado’s deadline, said Circular Action Alliance’s Jeff Fielkow at the Packaging Recycling Summit.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 26, 2025

Texas approves law requiring warning labels for food additives

The legislation will apply to food product labels developed or copyrighted on or after Jan. 1, 2027. Future FDA action on labeling would have the potential to supersede it.

By Sarah Zimmerman • June 24, 2025

Maine alters packaging EPR law, to industry’s relief

With LD 1423, groups wanted to bring Maine’s first-in-the-nation packaging EPR law from 2021 into closer alignment with more recent versions of EPR legislation in other states.

By Maria Rachal • June 24, 2025