Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Seven states now make producers pay for the packaging they put on the market. If you sell packaged goods in the U.S.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations require brands to contribute to the end-of-life collection and recycling of the product packaging they place into the market.
Seven states - California, Oregon, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington - now run comprehensive packaging EPR programs, each with its own registration, reporting, and fees.
Who’s in Scope?
Producers that sell, distribute, or import single-use packaging or plastic food service ware into an EPR state
Exemptions vary by state and aren’t automatic - California, for example, exempts producers under $1M in California gross sales, but only if you register and apply
A company selling nationally can face up to seven separate obligations at once
Penalties for Non-Compliance
California: up to $50,000 per producer, per day, per violation
Colorado: $5,000 on the first day, plus $1,500 per day until resolved
Missed registration and missed reports are the most common triggers
How Dune Helps
We get your packaging data reporting-ready - sorting covered materials, weights, and categories by state, confirming where you’re actually in scope, and preparing clean submissions to CalRecycle and the other state programs. The result: fees based on real data, not worst-case estimates.