The EPR Learning Exchange

The EPR Learning Exchange is a two-day working session where legislators, implementers, and the full packaging value chain tackle the practical questions raised by new packaging EPR laws and potential new deposit return system (“DRS”) laws and modernization efforts.

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.

What makes this track different

Ahead of the event, policymakers submit their top questions about EPR, DRS, and circular policy — and those questions become the agenda. Instead of prepared speeches, the two days run on facilitated, cross-stakeholder dialogue with the people implementing these systems today.

The agenda

Circle synthesizes the submitted questions into thematic Discussion Forums under four themes that follow the lifecycle of EPR — from policy development through implementation and what comes next. Each Lab opens with a brief framing conversation, then participants rotate between forums, engaging directly with producers, PROs, recyclers, local governments, NGOs, and technical experts.

TuesdaySeptember 15

CIRCLE

8:30–10:00 PM · Circle track

Open Reception for All ParticipantsAmerican Flatbread & Mothership Brewery · 115 St Paul St

WednesdaySeptember 16

8:00–9:00 AM · See Change

Welcome breakfasts & registrationBurlington Surf Club

9:15–10:30 AM · See Change

Introductions & WTF sessionsReef, inside Hula

LAB 01

10:45 AM–12:45 PM · Circle track

Setting the SceneFraming, superpanel, and participant introductions. No Discussion Forums.Reef, inside Hula

10:45–11:00 AM · 15 min

Framing the Moment: Circle × Atlantic Packaging

Opening framing of the two days and the room itself: a rare, neutral space where the people writing circular policy and the people putting it into practice sit together.

11:00 AM–12:00 PM · 60 min

What We Wish You Knew: A Candid Exchange

A moderated superpanel bringing three policymakers into dialogue with three leaders from across the packaging value chain — past talking points, into the lived experience behind circular policy.

• From the States: the real story behind the policy, the pressures that drove it, the complexities unique to their state, and the questions they’re still working to answer.
• From the Value Chain: what implementation actually looks and feels like on the ground — the day-to-day realities, the friction, and what brands are learning in real time.

12:00–12:30 PM · 30 min

Introductions & Learning Goals

Participants introduce themselves and where their state stands; Circle explains how the Discussion Forum rotations work.

12:45–1:45 PM · Break

Lunch (& brain) breakBack Lot, behind Hula

LAB 02

2:00–4:15 PM · Circle track

Considering & Building a BillThree Discussion Forums, three rotations — every participant attends all three.Miller Center, 175 Lakeside

Discussion Forums

#	Focus
A	Understanding the PoliciesHow packaging EPR, deposit return, and recycled content requirements relate to one another. What’s the relationship between packaging EPR, deposit return, and recycled content requirements?
B	Data & OutcomesWhat the numbers show, and what the public will bear. Beyond environmental impacts, what matters to stakeholders weighing circular policy: domestic recycling markets and material reliance as a national security concern, jobs, litter and tourism, municipal costs? What is the impact of these policies to consumer affordability? What is the public willing to accept?
C	Adapting Policy to State ContextBorrowing structure from other states; consistency vs. local specificity. How do states determine which existing EPR model is the best fit for their own context? How should legislation balance statewide consistency with state-specific priorities? How do you get EPR legislation to complement deposit return / recycling refund bills if not passed together?

2:00–2:05 PM

Welcome to the Miller Center

2:05–2:10 PM

Set the Stage

Frame the theme and introduce the three forums.

2:10–2:45 PM · 35 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 1

2:45–3:20 PM · 35 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 2

3:20–3:55 PM · 35 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 3

3:55–4:10 PM · 15 min

Group Debrief

Connect insights across stakeholder groups.

4:10–4:20 PM

Experience Preview

EXP

4:20–5:20 PM · Circle track

The Learning Exchange ExperienceA timeline immersion that puts participants inside the clocks governing circular policy: how long policy development actually takes, how long implementation takes, and what happens when those timelines don’t line up.Miller Center, 175 Lakeside

5:30–6:15 PM · See Change

Storytelling sessionReef, inside Hula

6:30–9:30 PM · See Change

South End Block PartySEABA · 400 Pine St

ThursdaySeptember 17

8:00–9:00 AM · See Change

Drop-in experiencesOptional

LAB 03

9:15–11:00 AM · Circle track

Systems in MotionThe questions coming from implementation. Two Discussion Forums, two rotations.Miller Center, 175 Lakeside

Discussion Forums

#	Focus
A	Stakeholders & InterestsWho needs to be at the table, and the interests in play. With so many stakeholders in play, how do I identify which state and national value-chain voices need to be brought to the table?
B	What Is Recycling?How states define responsible end markets today, and what that means for future rules. How are states defining responsible end markets today? What should future legislation and rulemaking require?

9:15–9:20 AM

Set the Stage

Frame the theme and introduce the two forums.

9:20–10:00 AM · 40 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 1

10:00–10:40 AM · 40 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 2

10:40–11:00 AM · 20 min

Group Debrief

Facilitators share key insights and emerging themes.

EXP

11:00 AM–12:30 PM · Circle track

Experience: Building BridgesA hands-on materials session: how packaging actually performs, what its end-of-life looks like, and how eco-modulation shapes producer choices.Miller Center, 175 Lakeside

12:35–1:30 PM · Break

Lunch (& brain) breakMain See Change venue

LAB 04

1:45–3:45 PM · Circle track

Ideation HourWhat belongs in statute versus rulemaking, plus cross-border and sub-state ideas. Two Discussion Forums, two rotations.Miller Center, 175 Lakeside

Discussion Forums

#	Focus
A	What Goes in Legislation Versus Rulemaking?Where the line sits, and what it costs to get it wrong. What belongs in statute, and what decisions are best left to rulemaking and implementation? How do we write legislation that facilitates system management, oversight and implementation to achieve desired policy objectives without over-complicating the bill? Legislators hand rulemaking to the regulator and advisory board, but are brought in to help stakeholders understand the intent of the legislation. What challenges are stakeholders now facing in rulemaking? How can state government best support and set up municipalities to implement EPR policies?
B	Cross-Border & Sub-State IdeationCoordination across state lines, and pilots below the state level. Is there opportunity for coordination in circular policy across geographic corridors? Could existing platforms be used for cross-state coordination, like compacts? Is there a role for sub-state circular policy pilots? Can they scale — county by county, or municipality by municipality on an opt-in basis — into a statewide approach?

1:45–1:50 PM

Set the Stage

Frame the session and introduce the legislator ideas.

1:50–2:35 PM · 45 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 1

2:35–3:20 PM · 45 min

Discussion Forum Rotation 2

3:20–3:45 PM · 25 min

Group Debrief

Closing thoughts and Q&A.

4:00–4:20 PM · See Change

Closing sessionBurlington Surf Club

4:30–6:00 PM · See Change

Golden happy hour & snacksBurlington Surf Club

Select any Lab for its Discussion Forums and full run of show.

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, deposit return systems that have operated in roughly ten states for decades are being modernized, and new programs are under consideration elsewhere — leaving policymakers across the country weighing 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:

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

‹ ›

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.

This event has taken place

The EPR Learning Exchange ran September 15–17, 2026 within See Change in Burlington, Vermont, and registration is closed. Thank you to everyone who joined. See the events calendar for Circle's upcoming sessions.

FAQ

Venue