The rollout of EPR regulation has now officially begun; in the Spring, “obligated” Producers in Oregon will be reporting, and paying fees on the full year of Sales Data for 2024. Next in line, in the Summer, “obligated” Producers in Colorado will be reporting and paying fees on the first six months of Sales Date for 2025. What are the obstacles that face Brands? We will dive into the definitional structures and how those definitions could impact both downstream and upstream suppliers. Further, all three of the leading Western States (OR, CO and CA) have different material categories (for example, OR and CA have exempt Deposit Return System exemptions; CO does not) of various lengths, and therefore material differences in fee structures. We will unpack the barriers created by harmonization gaps, but also how Producers can avail themselves of the areas that do align. The presentation list of discussion points are as follows: Present brief case studies that led to the current situation Discuss the basic Tenets of EPR Present the current Status of EPR in the US – adopter states and proposed states Exploring significant challenges due to the complex political landscape in the U.S. Addressing the obstacles faced by plastic and packaging producers Harmonization barriers and the impact of fragmentation within the EPR framework Sharing best practices for EPR implementation to maximize environmental benefits