This study critically examines the gaps, challenges, and opportunities within the United States’ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for plastics packaging, and assesses its broader implications for producers, policymakers, regulators, waste service providers, and consumers.

Project Objectives

We focus on three core objectives: 

• Analyze Global EPR Frameworks: We conducted an in-depth analysis of EPR legislation in pioneering U.S. states, comparing their structure, scope, and implementation with the established frameworks in the UK, the EU, and Canada to identify key differences, strategic overlaps, and opportunities for alignment.
  
  
• Identify Business Challenges & Opportunities: We investigated the real-world operational, strategic, regulatory, and financial hurdles businesses encounter when complying with disparate EPR regulations. 
  
  
• Identify Best Practices & Lessons Learned: We collaborated with key stakeholders across the entire value chain— from producers and manufacturers to waste service providers and recyclers. Through our discussions, we uncovered best practices and critical lessons from more mature EPR landscapes and ongoing policy changes in the U.S. for the future of plastics packaging and circularity.

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U.S. & Other Frameworks

Selected EU Member States 

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank  Anshika for her contributions to this project. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Atharva Bibave for his foundational work in setting up this project and deploying on the website.