On July 12, 2021, Maine became the first state in the nation to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law requiring large corporations and manufacturers to help pay for the cost of recycling their wasteful packaging, much of it plastic.
Passed by the Washington Legislature in 2025, the Recycling Reform Act (Chapter 70A.208 RCW) creates an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for residential packaging and paper products. The law requires producers of these products to join and fund a nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). Starting in 2030, recycling service providers will have most of their costs reimbursed by the PRO.
Denmark has introduced a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation for clothing and footwear, creating country-specific compliance requirements separate from EU-wide rules. Beginning July 1, 2026, producers placing products on the Danish market will be financially and operationally responsible for their end-of-life management. Companies should begin preparing now to understand registration, reporting, and fee obligations to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
More information here:
The California Retailers Association, the American Apparel and Footwear Association, and the National Retail Federation launched the Textile Renewal Alliance to implement an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program under California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (SB 707).
Visit the TRA website here: https://textilerenewalalliance.org/