At its seventh and final meeting on 9 December 2025, the Massachusetts Commission on Extended Producer Responsibility set the course for the possible introduction of producer responsibility for packaging and plastics. Instead of an immediate legislative recommendation, the committee is focussing on structured technical preparation.
At the centre of this is the recommendation to set up a separate subcommittee for packaging and plastics at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Waste Management Advisory Committee. This specialist committee is to analyse different models of producer responsibility for packaging, evaluate experiences from other US states and assess the impact on municipal disposal systems, existing recycling structures, manufacturers and retailers.
In addition, the Commission is in favour of carrying out a comprehensive needs analysis. This should be financed by Parliament and be available within two years of the funds being made available. The aim is to obtain reliable data on costs, infrastructure requirements, material flows and possible ecological effects before specific regulatory requirements for packaging are developed.
„Long-term control instrument“
In the final vote, the revised packaging recommendation received a majority within the Commission, with a few abstentions. The committee thus underlines the relevance of packaging EPR as a long-term management tool, but makes it clear that it should only be introduced on the basis of sound analyses.
The recommendations will now be submitted to the Massachusetts state parliament. The handover of the final report also marks the end of the EPR Commission's work.
Source: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
