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PACKAGING EPR COSTS & FEES

How much does packaging EPR cost? The honest answer starts with your material and state data.

There is no single national EPR fee. Producer costs vary by state, covered-material type, quantity supplied, approved program budget, fee schedule and—in some programs—eco-modulation. The useful question is not “what is the EPR fee?” but “which legal entity supplies what material into which state, under which fee year?”

Last verified: August 10, 2026CAA + state sourcesNot a fee quote

When did packaging EPR fees actually start?

OREGON

Fee obligations began July 1, 2025

CAA identifies Oregon as the first state with producer fee obligations. Its public 2026 planning table shows 2026 program fees invoiced beginning in January 2026 in two 50% installments.

COLORADO

Dues began January 2026

CAA and CDPHE confirm Colorado producer dues began in January 2026. CAA’s 2026 planning table also describes two 50% installments based on prior supply reporting.

CALIFORNIA

Early fees in August 2026; statutory program fees in 2027

CAA’s public planning table identifies a one-installment California “Early Fee” invoice in August 2026. CAA separately states that California fee obligations begin in January 2027.

Why individual producer costs vary so much

Material mix. Paper, rigid plastic, flexible plastic, metal, glass and other categories can carry different rates.
Weight or quantity supplied. Producer reports feed the allocation of program fees or dues.
Program budget. State needs assessments, approved PRO plans and covered-service costs influence total funding needs.
Eco-modulation. Programs may reward or penalize packaging characteristics such as recyclability, reuse, recycled content or other environmental attributes.
Producer status and exemptions. A legal entity that qualifies for a statutory exemption may avoid most program fees; another affiliate may still be obligated.

Oregon EPR costs

CAA says Oregon’s 2026 producer fee calculation uses the company’s calendar-year 2024 Oregon supply data and the CAA 2026 Oregon Producer Fee Rate Schedule. That rate schedule is available through the Producer Portal. The public resource center confirms the 2026 payment is split into two 50% installments.

That means an accurate Oregon budget requires the producer’s actual covered-material data and current CAA rate schedule. A generic per-company estimate without those inputs can be materially misleading.

Colorado EPR costs

Colorado dues likewise depend on the producer’s supply data and CAA’s Colorado due-rate schedule. CDPHE says producers must pay producer-responsibility dues annually, beginning in January 2026. CAA’s public 2026 planning table ties those dues to calendar-year 2024 Colorado supply data and shows two 50% installments.

California SB 54 costs

California has two cost concepts that should not be blended together. CAA’s public 2026 planning table lists an August 2026 early-fee installment based on calendar-year 2025 supply data. Separately, CAA says California’s normal fee obligations begin in January 2027.

California law also establishes a broader Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund funding requirement: CalRecycle states producers collectively must fund $5 billion over ten years—$500 million per year beginning in 2027. That is a statewide statutory funding requirement, not a $500 million bill to any individual producer.

Do not use statewide program cost as a company quote. Your producer invoice depends on the applicable fee schedule and your reported covered-material profile.

What data do you need to estimate your EPR cost?

  1. Identify the obligated legal entity in each state.
  2. Confirm whether an exemption applies.
  3. Pull the applicable reporting-year supply data.
  4. Map materials into the current state/PRO reporting categories.
  5. Use the current approved or published fee-rate schedule for that fee year.
  6. Separate base fees from eco-modulation, special assessments and startup/early fees.
  7. Preserve the source and fee-schedule version used for the estimate.

Official and PRO fee sources

CAA — Producer Resource Center: reporting and 2026 fees/dues planningCAA — Fee obligation timing and estimation FAQColorado CDPHE — Producer dues and program implementationCalRecycle — SB 54 regulations and statewide funding requirement

Related high-intent guides

Am I exempt from EPR?

Compare small-producer and de minimis thresholds before budgeting fees.

EPR deadlines

See when registration, reporting and payments enter the calendar by state.

Budget from the right entity and the right source data.

EPRScope connects the producer entity, supply/reporting record, fee-year source and open action without pretending to be a filing or fee-calculation engine.

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