Shifting the cleanup cost of packaging waste to companies could encourage greener packaging – but only if states are aligned

Since 2021, seven U.S. states have passed extended producer responsibility laws requiring companies to fund recycling systems for their own packaging, with over a dozen more states considering similar bills. A researcher's survey of waste policy experts found broad agreement that producers should bear cleanup costs but sharp disagreement over goals — some want better recycling infrastructure, others want reduced environmental impact outright, and still others prioritize litter reduction or reusable packaging.

Because U.S. EPR policy is emerging state by state rather than nationally, as it did in Europe, the same packaging choice can be rewarded in one state and penalized in another — a compostable bottle, for instance. The researcher warns that without aligned goals, large multinational companies will simply treat compliance fees as a routine cost of doing business rather than a reason to redesign anything.

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