Global EPR News: August, 2025

Written By Spencer Grey

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) isn’t just a phenomenon sweeping the United States. In fact, it’s been in place in the UK and EU for years, now. Keeping up with EPR regulations around the world is a smart way to stay informed about trends that may appear in different jurisdictions where your business operates, so here are the top five EPR updates from around the world.

1. California Registration Open

Companies that qualify as producers under California’s SB 54 EPR law are required to register with the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) as the first step in the nation’s most strict EPR obligations. Circular Action Alliance (CAA) opened its online producer registration portal on August 20, 2025, encouraging producers to register as soon as possible. Key information to remember includes:

  • Registration deadline is September 5.

  • Reporting deadline is November 15.

  • Enforcement actions include fines up to $50,000 per day.

2. New States Introducing EPR

Connecticut, Nebraska, New York, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Tennessee have all introduced EPR-related laws and/or needs assessments in 2025. While most of these bills have been introduced but not yet passed, there are two new laws related to EPR that showcase the adoption of the trend and are precursors to full-fledged EPR programs:

  • Hawaii’s HB 750 mandates an EPR needs assessment due by December 31. 2027.

  • Rhode Island’s needs assessment focuses on both EPR packaging needs and a bottle bill.

Get critical information on current US EPR requirements in our EPR Bulletin.

3. EPR on Track for Textiles

In California, SB 707 gives textile producers until July 1, 2026 to join a Producer Responsibility Organization that will implement requirements for the collection and management of post-consumer textile products.

  • Noncompliance fees may reach up to $50,000 per day.

The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles in setting ambitious textile sustainability and life cycle goals for 2030.

  • The Strategy is designed to ban false green claims, improve consumer information, and provides incentives to increase circularity of products.

4. UK EPR Kicks Off

The UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) recently set its eco-modulation schedule, in which fees steadily decrease for highly recyclable packaging and steadily increase for poorly recyclable materials. 

  • Base fees are calculated using packaging tonnages.

  • Eco-modulated fees will escalate starting from the 2026 financial year.

  • The core principle of the pEPR scheme is “the polluter pays”.

5. Prepare for EPR in the EU

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation contains some of the strictest EPR stipulations in the world including:

  • All packaging must be recyclable by 2030.

  • Brands using non-recyclable or environmentally harmful materials must pay to clean them up.

  • PFAS chemicals will be banned from packaging from August 2026.

EPR is not a passing trend. It’s a global shift in regulations pertaining to packaging waste that is going to change the way companies do business for the foreseeable future, and the time to prepare is now. Schedule a no-pressure consultation today to get on track for all EPR regulations that apply to your business.

Spencer Grey
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