U.S. PACKAGING EPR 2026

Packaging EPR laws by state: compare all seven enacted programs.

Producer definitions, registration timing, reporting, fees, exemptions and implementation phases vary by state. This hub provides a maintained comparison layer and links each state to a source-backed operating guide.

Seven enacted programsOfficial agency/statutory sourcesNot legal advice
Prepared by EPRScope Research DeskPrimary agency and statutory sourcesMethodology & corrections
UPCOMING CALIFORNIA LABELING DEADLINE

October 4, 2026: SB 343 recyclability-label restrictions

Products and packaging manufactured after the cutoff face California’s separate chasing-arrows and recyclability-claim restrictions. The page is adjacent to SB 54—but the legal obligation is different.

Open the SB 343 deadline guide →Review California SB 54

Seven enacted packaging EPR programs at a glance

The table separates program phase from individual deadlines. A law’s effective date is not necessarily the producer’s registration, reporting or fee deadline.

StateCurrent phaseImmediate operating milestoneProducer-identity issueFull guide
MaineSO procurement unresolvedNo proposals were received by the August 18 deadline. DEP is assessing options; startup registration remains due within 90 days after a future Stewardship Organization opens registration.Identify the producer before testing exemptions and the eventual trigger-based registration date.Maine guide →
OregonOperatingProducer reporting and fees are active; the top-25 life-cycle impact disclosure is due December 31, 2026.Published status, exemptions and entity names must remain connected to retained sources.Oregon guide →
ColoradoOperatingParticipation has been required since July 1, 2025; annual dues began in January 2026 and late-compliance risk remains live.Manufacturer, brand/license and distribution facts determine the responsible entity.Colorado guide →
CaliforniaPermanent rulesPermanent SB 54 regulations became effective May 1, 2026; the June 1 pathway deadline passed and 2027 targets are approaching.Separate the exact producer entity from the commercial brand, importer and private-label relationships.California guide →
Washington2026 implementationProducer registration, covered-product reporting and membership obligations operate through the approved PRO and current Ecology guidance.Private-label, importer, e-commerce and first-distributor roles need explicit fact support.Washington guide →
MinnesotaRulemaking / rolloutPRO membership requirements are in place while MPCA continues rulemaking and reporting development.The detailed statutory hierarchy must be applied to the exact legal entity and commercial flow.Minnesota guide →
MarylandInitial registrationCOMAR 26.04.14 became effective May 25, 2026; the registration regime began July 1 and annual June 30 timing follows.Manufacturer, licensee, brand-owner, importer, first-distributor, franchise and remote-sale roles may differ.Maryland guide →

Enacted packaging EPR state programs

Each guide focuses on the questions with the strongest compliance intent: who is the producer, what is covered, when registration or reporting is due, whether an exemption applies, what PRO relationship is required and what official source supports the answer.

High-intent compliance resources

Packaging EPR bills to watch

These pages are legislative watch pages. They describe current bill text and committee status without presenting proposals as current law.

Research method

EPRScope updates regulatory content from state environmental agencies, official statutes and regulations, court and docket sources, Circular Action Alliance operational guidance and official legislative pages. Each page carries a last-verified date. We distinguish law from PRO operations, litigation from injunction relief and proposed bills from enacted obligations.

The Exposure Assessment establishes the corporate family, state scope, producer roles, official sources, evidence gaps and 90-day plan before ongoing monitoring begins.

Request an Exposure Assessment →See the entity workflow