Atlantic Packaging’s Director of Sustainability, Caroline DeLoach, is featured in a new Inc. Magazine article exploring the rapid rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging laws across the United States.
In the article, New Rules, New Costs: New EPR Packaging Law Is About to Hit Millions of Businesses, Inc. outlines how new state-level regulations are shifting both the financial and operational responsibility for packaging waste to business owners. Companies are now required to report detailed packaging data and pay fees tied to material type, weight, and recyclability.
Caroline emphasizes a key point many companies are still working to understand: EPR compliance is not determined by where a business is located, but where its products are sold.
“That is probably the single biggest misconception about EPR compliance: It has very little to do with where your company is based or where it operates, and it has everything to do with where your company is selling into.”
As the article highlights, this shift is creating new complexity for brands navigating a patchwork of state requirements, evolving fee structures, and significant data reporting demands. Many companies are now asking a foundational question: how to gather and manage the data required for compliance.
Caroline points to the importance of supply chain collaboration and strong data systems to meet these requirements, reinforcing a broader industry shift toward treating packaging as a measurable, trackable asset.
With EPR legislation already active in multiple states and more on the way, the conversation is quickly moving from awareness to action. For brands, that means rethinking packaging choices, improving data visibility, and preparing for ongoing reporting and compliance obligations.
Atlantic Packaging continues to support customers through this transition—helping translate policy into practical action across packaging design, material selection, and data readiness.