In the fast-paced print and packaging industries, staying compliant with regulations is a significant challenge every business must address. From food and pharmaceutical packaging to toys and cosmetics, global regulatory standards continually evolve, making it...

After Dan Felton got to work as the new president and CEO at the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) in November 2024, one of his missions was to increase FPA’s advocacy efforts at the state and...

Packaging policy continues to attract a lot of attention, but proposals that were once ideas are now becoming realities and having real-world impacts on cost and purchasing. A prominent example is extended producer responsibility (EPR)...

What happens “inside the Beltway” can often have dramatic impacts “outside the Beltway.” This is especially true when you talk about technology and advancements in the flexible packaging industry because federal policies can either promote...

NAW, represented by attorneys from Sidley Austin as well as Bradley Bernstein Sands, filed its lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on July 30 — about a month after Oregon’s...

CalRecycle’s journey of restarting the formal rulemaking process has created confusion among stakeholders who are concerned with how the results could alter the original intent of SB 54, along with upcoming deadlines for producers to...

PACK EXPO Las Vegas will feature at least five informational sessions on extended producer responsibility (EPR) and other regulatory developments affecting the packaging industry. The show, which will be held September 29 through October 1,...

Oregon passed the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act in 2021, the second packaging EPR law in the United States. Oregon had the distinction this year of becoming the first U.S. state to have its...

With the signing of Washington State’s packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill into law, we now have seven states that have programs in various stages of initial implementation. The Annapolis, Maryland-based Flexible Packaging Association (FPA)...

After a pendulum swing toward shrinking the chemical footprint of packaging and other products, new government policies have prompted questions about what’s in store for managing chemicals in the sector. Public concern about the safety...

On July 16, 2025, the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee’s Environment Subcommittee convened a hearing to explore the state of recycling in the United States. Titled "Beyond the Blue Bin: Forging a Federal Landscape...

Two new policy proposals seeking to improve components of the U.S. recycling system came up during a Congressional hearing last week, and industry stakeholders offered their thoughts on how the federal government can best support...

Dan Felton, President & CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), testified today before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) Subcommittee on Environment during a hearing about recycling innovation and...

Plastics, packaging and recycling industry stakeholders testified July 16 during a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment hearing centered on recycling innovation and economic growth. The subcommittee focuses on...

When Donald J. Trump was reelected president, we expected a significant shift from the Biden administration policies. We did not expect the massive change that has rocked the federal government. Since Inauguration Day, Trump has...

In December 2024, the European Union (EU) wrapped up a lengthy process to develop new rules governing packaging and packaging waste, which officials see as a growing concern. In a preamble to the regulation, the...

This year, extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging were expected to begin to mature, with Oregon’s program set to become the first to launch on July 1 and four other states working on implementation....

A Rhode Island bill calling for a statewide recycling needs assessment and the creation of a recycling advisory council is headed to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk. The study bill is a major overhaul of a...

The long-awaited kickoff to a U.S. extended producer responsibility for packaging program is mere days away, with Oregon’s start date July 1. Despite some initial doubts from observers, producer responsibility organization Circular Action Alliance scaled...

Before compliance was a buzzword—before “sustainability” made headlines—John Von Bargen was rewriting the rulebook for American industry. As Ship & Shore Environmental, Inc. (S&SE) accelerates toward its 25th anniversary, Von Bargen’s legacy remains the foundation...

Maine was a trailblazer in U.S. packaging EPR when it adopted the nation’s first such law in 2021. But being the first mover, its law is structured differently than later states — such as Minnesota,...

Cities and municipalities across the United States are contending with increasing volumes of waste. In response to this rise, along with growing consumer concerns about packaging waste, state lawmakers are enacting extended producer responsibility (EPR)...

A pair of U.S. senators active in recycling policy introduced their latest bill, this time focused on reuse. U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Jeff Merkley,...

The New York state legislature did not pass a contentious extended producer responsibility for packaging bill as its work wrapped up this week. The legislature’s formal session came to a close in the wee hours...

CalRecycle is reviewing a new set of comments on draft regulations for SB 54, California’s plastic source reduction and extended producer responsibility for packaging law. Comments were due to the agency June 3, a few...

The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act has again passed the Senate. The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act also passed the Senate last year, but ran out of time for consideration in the Assembly....

Hawai’i Gov. Josh Green last week signed HB750, which requires the state’s Department of Health to conduct a needs assessment related to recycling, due to the legislature by the end of 2027. Specifically, the state...

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) is pleased to offer these comments to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MCPA) in response to the proposed PFAS in Products: Reporting and Fees Rule developed by the Agency. In...