Every American household, and every congressional district, depends on packaging. From the pouches that keep baby food fresh, to the sterile wraps around life-saving medical supplies, to the rations our military carries into the field,...

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) appreciates this opportunity to comment on the U.S. Department of Justice Request for Information on State Laws Having Significant Adverse Effects on the National Economy or Significant Adverse Effects on...

The bills now await a decision from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Legislators declined to act on a bill that had backing from plastic recyclers related to recycled content in beverage containers. California legislators wrapped their annual...

As policies push for more PCR, questions remain around how to effectively track recycled content in packaging and how to incentivize sourcing recycled material within North America. Creating stronger markets for recycled materials is a...

The U.S. EPA updated its rulemaking agenda, adding timelines for when it plans to advance several key actions that affect the waste and recycling industry. Rules that appear on the docket address issues like PFAS,...

It’s becoming even riskier for companies to present misleading environmental or sustainability claims — a practice dubbed “greenwashing” — due to wider user of technology to weed out bad actors and growing legal judgments, speakers discussed...

Circular Action Alliance (CAA) recently appointed an executive director to oversee California’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program. CAA is the producer responsibility organization (PRO) in California with the overall mission to implement the state’s Plastic...

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...

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...

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,...