Packaging and Packaging Waste

Missouri Proposes Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling (HB 3504)

Missouri has introduced HB 3504, the Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act, which would create a producer‑funded statewide recycling scheme for packaging and paper with advisory‑board oversight and staged implementation milestones through 2030. If enacted, this would shift recycling costs and performance obligations from local governments to producers selling packaged goods into Missouri, requiring them to join a producer responsibility organisation, pay dues, and plan for expanded collection, recycled content, and long‑term compliance.

18 May 2026, 17:52documents.house.mo.govUnited States

Rhode Island House Schedules Hearing on Bill H8415 to Ban Black Plastic Takeout Containers

Rhode Island lawmakers have scheduled a 19 May 2026 committee hearing on House Bill 8415, which would ban the use of black plastic takeout containers for prepared foods and drinks. If advanced, the bill would push food service businesses and packaging suppliers to replace black plastic containers in the state, signalling tighter controls on single-use plastic packaging.

18 May 2026, 17:47legiscan.comUnited States

Minnesota MPCA Plans Rulemaking to Implement Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act

In May 2026 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency began developing rules to implement the state's Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act, establishing a producer-responsibility framework for packaging and paper waste. Companies placing covered packaging and paper products on the Minnesota market should anticipate new design, reporting and funding obligations for waste reduction, reuse and recycling, although the rulemaking timeline and compliance deadlines are still to be set.

18 May 2026, 13:31pca.state.mn.usUnited States

Finland Consults On Draft Decree Amending Packaging And Packaging Waste Rules

Finland has opened consultation on a draft decree amending its packaging and packaging waste rules to implement the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, reallocating national market surveillance responsibilities and updating design, recycling and producer responsibility provisions from August 2026. This will tighten alignment with EU packaging requirements and may require packaging producers, brands, importers and waste operators to reassess product design, labelling, data and EPR compliance strategies ahead of the new regime.

18 May 2026, 13:21lausuntopalvelu.fiFinland

California AB 2481 — Committee Do Pass on Glass Beverage Container Quality Incentive Payments

California’s AB 2481 has cleared an Assembly committee with a Do pass recommendation, advancing a bill to expand quality incentive payments for high-quality recycled glass beverage containers to additional in-state manufacturers. This would broaden how existing Beverage Container Recycling Fund appropriations can be used, potentially strengthening California’s glass recycling markets and supporting investments in fiberglass and other local manufacturing capacity.

16 May 2026, 09:04leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

France Consults on Draft Order Extending REP Oils Scheme to Oil Containers

France is consulting in May 2026 on a draft ministerial order that integrates containers for lubricating and industrial oils into the extended producer responsibility scheme, aligns obligations with packaging REP frameworks, and fine-tunes financing, R&D and hazardous-chemical-product thresholds. If adopted from mid-2026, the order will tighten collection, recycling and prevention trajectories for oil containers, create cross-scheme compensation rules, and set a series of 2027–2030 milestones that eco-organismes, oil and packaging producers, and waste operators must build into their REP strategy and investment planning.

15 May 2026, 18:34consultations-publiques.developpement-durable.gouv.frFrance

Minnesota Senate Passes SF5073 Agriculture Omnibus Bill (PFAS Packaging Funding; Paraquat Report)

On 14 May 2026 the Minnesota Senate passed omnibus agriculture bill SF5073, which would allow state AGRI funds to support commercialisation of PFAS-reducing fibre-based barrier packaging and require a detailed 2029 report on paraquat dichloride use and supply chains in the state. If enacted, this would create targeted funding opportunities for packaging innovation while signalling heightened scrutiny of paraquat herbicide risks in Minnesota, giving packaging suppliers and agrochemical companies early warning of potential future restrictions.

15 May 2026, 16:14revisor.mn.govUnited States

Minnesota MPCA Schedules 20 May Packaging EPR Advisory Board Meeting and Seeks Environmental Justice Board Member

Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency is holding a 20 May 2026 hybrid meeting of its Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility Advisory Board, closing key needs-assessment surveys on 15 May, and keeping an environmental justice board seat open for applications. These steps will shape how Minnesota’s Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act is implemented, influencing future obligations, fees, material scope, and governance for packaging producers and affected municipalities.

15 May 2026, 16:12pca.state.mn.usUnited States

UK Updates Packaging EPR Dataset With Operator-By-Material Breakdown

The UK environment authorities have updated their packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) statistical dataset to add clearer data definitions and a breakdown of accredited reprocessors and exporters by material type and tonnage band. This improves visibility of actual packaging waste flows and compliance patterns without changing underlying EPR reporting obligations, helping producers and regulators benchmark market participation and potential enforcement focus.

15 May 2026, 15:17gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Spain – Civil Society Urges Comunidad De Madrid To Approve Deposit‑Return System Operators

Spanish civil-society groups are pressuring the Comunidad de Madrid to resolve outstanding authorisations for operators of Spain’s future beverage-container deposit-return system by 22 May 2026, ahead of an NGO-cited November start date and against a backdrop of missed EU separate-collection targets. This amplifies expectations that Spain will move quickly to implement the deposit-return framework in its 2022 waste and packaging laws, signalling rising compliance and systems-change pressure on beverage producers, retailers and packaging value chains.

15 May 2026, 14:46tierra.orgSpain

EU NGOs Urge EU Leaders To Uphold PPWR Application Date And PFAS Packaging Ban

A large coalition of NGOs, consumer groups and reuse-focused businesses has issued a joint letter urging EU leaders to reject industry lobbying to delay the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and to keep its August 2026 application date, including the PFAS ban in food-contact packaging. This high-profile advocacy highlights that PPWR timelines and core obligations remain politically sensitive but unchanged, reinforcing the need for packaging and food companies to prepare for the 12 August 2026 application date and related implementing measures.

15 May 2026, 08:50eeb.orgEuropean Union

EU NGOs Oppose Corporate Bid To Delay PPWR PFAS Ban And Reuse Rules

In May 2026, more than 160 NGOs and allied organisations wrote to EU leaders opposing a late-stage industry campaign to delay and reopen key provisions of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, including the August 2026 PFAS ban in food-contact packaging and core single-use and reuse measures. This exchange highlights significant political pressure around PPWR implementation and raises real risk that PFAS, single-use plastic and reuse obligations could be weakened or delayed, so companies should closely monitor any institutional response and be ready to defend or adjust current compliance investment plans.

14 May 2026, 18:43rethinkplasticalliance.euEuropean Union

Circular Action Alliance Opens Public Comment On REM Recycling Standard

In May 2026, US producer responsibility organisation Circular Action Alliance opened a 45-day public consultation on its draft Responsible Markets (REM) recycling standard, a voluntary certification framework defining what counts as a responsibly managed end market under emerging packaging EPR laws. If widely adopted, this standard could become a de facto compliance benchmark for state EPR programmes, shaping how brands and recyclers qualify downstream outlets, manage traceability, and demonstrate that packaging is recycled into safe, verifiable end uses.

14 May 2026, 18:37circularactionalliance.orgUnited States

European Commission Publishes Factual Summary of Public Consultation on Single-Use Plastics Directive Evaluation

The European Commission has published a factual summary of its 2025–2026 public consultation on the Single-Use Plastics Directive, capturing stakeholder feedback that will inform the directive’s evaluation due by 3 July 2027. Responses point to strong support for tougher EU action but also highlight scope gaps (especially tobacco filters), definitional and enforcement issues, and business cost concerns, signalling potential future tightening and clarification of single-use plastic product obligations.

14 May 2026, 12:28eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

Oregon DEQ Approves Responsible End Markets Amendment to PRO Program Plan (May 4 2026)

Oregon DEQ has approved Circular Action Alliance’s amended producer responsibility organization program plan under the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, finalising the “responsible end markets” standard and related verification approach as of 4 May 2026. This locks in how PRO-managed recycling end markets will be benchmarked and verified, so producers using Oregon’s system should review the updated plan and ensure their supply chains and data can meet the refined criteria.

14 May 2026, 12:27oregon.govUnited States

Colorado SB192: House Second Reading on Producer Responsibility Dues Appeals Bill Laid Over to 14 May 2026

Colorado’s Senate Bill 26-192, which would formalise an appeals process for producers to challenge eco-modulated dues under the statewide recycling EPR programme, has passed the Senate and House committee, with the House second reading laid over to 14 May 2026. If adopted, this measure would shape how disputes over producer-responsibility fees are handled in Colorado, affecting cost exposure, governance, and potential litigation strategies for companies selling packaged products into the state.

14 May 2026, 09:52leg.colorado.govUnited States

Cefic Publishes Position Paper on Sustainability Criteria for Recycling Technologies Under EU PPWR Delegated Act

Cefic has published a position paper urging the European Commission to adopt technology-neutral, input- and end-use-based sustainability criteria for recycling technologies under the PPWR delegated act on Article 7(9), explicitly recognising the role of chemical recycling for complex plastic waste. The paper signals that EU chemical and packaging value chains want criteria that support investment in chemical recycling, safeguard high-quality recycled outputs, and ensure a level playing field with imported recyclates, shaping how PPWR implementation could affect packaging design and recycling strategies.

14 May 2026, 09:23cefic.orgEuropean Union

Vermont Senate Refers H.915 Beverage Container EPR Bill to Finance Committee

Vermont’s H.915 bill to establish an extended producer responsibility programme for beverage containers has progressed in the Senate, moving to the Finance Committee on 12 May 2026 with hearings scheduled in mid-May. If enacted, beverage producers and distributors selling into Vermont would need to join a producer responsibility organisation and plan for phased compliance between July 2026 and March 2028, alongside higher redemption targets and redirected unclaimed deposits that support recycling and water-quality funding.

14 May 2026, 05:57legislature.vermont.govUnited States

CalRecycle Updates SB 54 Producer Guidance With New Tools and Key Deadlines

CalRecycle has updated its producer guidance for California’s SB 54 packaging extended producer responsibility law, adding tools on covered materials, producer status and categorical exclusions, and highlighting registration options ahead of a 1 June 2026 compliance deadline. Producers selling packaging into California now need to confirm if they are covered producers, align with the PRO or independent pathways, onboard to the PEPRS reporting portal, and plan investments to meet aggressive 2027–2032 plastic reduction and recycling targets.

13 May 2026, 19:07calrecycle.ca.govUnited States

California Senate Appropriations Committee Places SB 1341 on Suspense File

On 11 May 2026 the California Senate Appropriations Committee heard SB 1341 on wine and distilled spirits beverage container processing fees and placed the bill on its suspense file, with a further hearing scheduled for 14 May 2026. If enacted, the bill would temporarily let CalRecycle lower processing fees and adjust processing payments for boxed, pouched and similar wine and spirits containers, reducing costs for eligible producers while maintaining recycler funding.

13 May 2026, 12:34leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States