The EPR Learning Exchange

Wednesday 16 September 2026 & Thursday 17 September 2026

In-person

Speakers

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The EPR Learning Exchange is a two-day working session where legislators and the people implementing packaging EPR tackle the practical questions the first laws are raising.

It's a neutral, cross-value-chain forum held within the annual See Change conference — built around facilitated dialogue rather than panels, and shaped by the top questions policymakers submit ahead of time.

In 2025, the inaugural Exchange brought elected officials from across the country together with producers, recyclers, NGOs, brands, and regulators for two days of candid dialogue on early EPR implementation — the kind of unlikely, in-the-room conversations that rarely happen anywhere else.

Where things stand

elected officials convened in 2025

states represented in the room

U.S. states with packaging EPR laws

responses to the Legislator Guide

What makes this track different

Ahead of the event, policymakers will be invited to submit their top questions about EPR and circular policy. Those questions will shape the Learning Exchange itself.

Rather than centering prepared speeches, the track is designed around facilitated, cross-stakeholder dialogue that responds directly to the questions legislators, regulators, and advisory board members are asking right now — a one-of-a-kind forum built around real implementation experience and conversations that would not happen in most conference settings.

Bring the real questions

Policymakers’ top questions, gathered in advance, set the table.

Exchange across stakeholders

Interactive, cross-value-chain dialogue instead of prepared speeches.

Rotate through perspectives

Firsthand implementation experience from every part of the value chain.

Test ideas & tradeoffs

Explore design choices across different state contexts.

Build knowledge networks

Relationships and know-how that support future policy design.

Why this matters

In 2026, packaging EPR moved into active implementation in Oregon and Colorado, while California, Minnesota, Maryland, Maine, and Washington continued building out their systems. At the same time, policymakers across the country are considering what circular policy should look like in their own states.

Decision-makers need a neutral place to hear directly from the people implementing policy today — and to weigh the tradeoffs shaping the next generation of circular policy.

Who should attend

A diverse working group of participants involved in shaping, implementing, or responding to circular policy:

Legislators & staff behind passed EPR laws Legislators exploring EPR for 2027–28 Regulators & advisory board members Municipal leadership Material manufacturers & producers Packaging converters Legislators & staff behind passed EPR laws Legislators exploring EPR for 2027–28 Regulators & advisory board members Municipal leadership Material manufacturers & producers Packaging converters

Waste & recycling service providers Mechanical & advanced recyclers Consumer brands & retailers Quick-service restaurants Trade organizations U.S., Canadian & European PROs Waste & recycling service providers Mechanical & advanced recyclers Consumer brands & retailers Quick-service restaurants Trade organizations U.S., Canadian & European PROs

Circle convenings focus on public-policy understanding, systems design, and implementation case studies. They are not a forum for coordinating commercial strategy or competitively sensitive information.

Last year in pictures

The 2025 EPR Learning Exchange · See Change Sessions, Burlington, VT

What came out of last year

The 2025 Exchange did more than spark conversation — it produced something lasting, built directly from what was said in the room.

Direct from the 2025 Exchange

The Legislator Guide for Circular Policy

At the 2025 event, legislators kept asking for the same thing: a single, non-partisan place to understand how packaging EPR actually works — and how every stakeholder sees it. That feedback, gathered directly from the legislators in the room, became a deliverable.

Circle built a non-partisan, living repository giving policymakers 101-level context, clear stakeholder perspectives across the value chain, and firsthand reflections from the legislators behind all seven U.S. EPR-for-packaging laws.

Explore the Legislator Guide

responses from legislators and organizations across the full packaging value chain

Express interest

Share your interest below. Once you’ve expressed interest, Circle will follow up with a short form to confirm your attendance.

FAQ

What is the EPR Learning Exchange?

It's an immersive learning track within the annual See Change conference, focused on the practical questions emerging as U.S. packaging EPR moves from legislation into implementation. Rather than presentation-heavy panels, it's built around facilitated, cross-stakeholder dialogue that responds directly to the questions legislators, regulators, and advisory members are asking right now.

How are See Change and the EPR Learning Exchange related?

The Learning Exchange is Circle's programming hosted inside the larger See Change conference. Your place in the Learning Exchange covers Circle's two days of programming.

When and where is it?

Wednesday, September 16 and Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Hula Lakeside (50 Lakeside Ave, Burlington, Vermont), held within the See Change conference. Plan to arrive the evening before programming begins.

How is this different from a typical conference?

Ahead of the event, policymakers are invited to submit their top questions about EPR and circular policy — and those questions shape the agenda. Instead of prepared speeches, you'll move through guided exchange sessions, Q&A with policymakers, and collaborative stakeholder mapping, rotating through value-chain perspectives.

What will I leave with?

A clearer view of how packaging EPR works in practice across states; an "ecosystem map" of U.S. EPR and circular-policy stakeholders, their pain points, and what's working; deeper ties with legislators, brand leaders, NGOs, regulators, and recyclers; and a stronger foundation for future Circle expeditions and case studies.

How do I take part? Is it open?

Use the express-interest form on this page. Once you've expressed interest, Circle will follow up with a short form to confirm your attendance.

Are scholarships available?

Scholarships are offered to select state legislators and key staff. If you may qualify, reach out via the express-interest form to be considered.

How do travel and hotels work?

Participants are responsible for booking their own travel and hotels in the Burlington area. Options nearby include Hotel Vermont, the Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown, and the Harborvale Hotel. The nearest airport is Burlington International (BTV).

Are sessions confidential?

Sessions are convened under the Chatham House Rule: participants are free to use the information and insights shared, but may not attribute specific comments to individuals, companies, or organizations outside the room. Circle convenings focus on public-policy understanding, systems design, and implementation case studies — each organization makes its own independent business decisions in full compliance with U.S. and EU antitrust and competition laws. They are not a forum for coordinating commercial strategy or competitively sensitive information.