5 predictions as US packaging EPR progresses

Packaging Dive reported the development on 2026-05-01. The last 18 months “feels sort of like 18 years,” said Circular Action Alliance’s CEO. Political, PRO and packaging leaders discussed where EPR is headed, including implications for data and design and how to measure success.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. U.S. packaging stakeholders have learned a lot this past year since Oregon became the first state to begin implementing an extended producer responsibility for packaging law. Yet the industry is still very early in the journey, according to speakers at SPC Impact in Nashville, Tennessee, from April 22-23. These were some of their insights on the direction EPR is headed.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. It’s time for some tough love. “Expect that packaging regulations will stay as strict as they are today — or get stricter,” according to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s 2026 trends report, which the group shared during the event.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. “Plan for packaging fees to increase significantly, particularly for difficult-to-recycle materials, with real consequences for falling short,” the report continues. “Assume a sizable investment in recycling infrastructure will be needed, and that your company will be part of the group paying for it.”. Treating sustainability ambition as a competitive advantage will be critical.