Eureka Recycling & the Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling(AMBR)

Eureka Recycling and the Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR) are mission-driven recycling operators and policy advocates with direct, hands-on experience shaping and implementing EPR for packaging in Minnesota, California, and Colorado. We bring the perspective of organizations that run real recycling programs and see daily what materials move through municipal systems, what policies improve outcomes, and where gaps remain. Our work across the US states—spanning legislative development, technical guidance, and ongoing implementation—grounds our recommendations in practical system needs and ensures they reflect what actually works for communities, recyclers, and the environment.

Recommendations for Policymakers Developing Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging Policies:

1. Establish material-specific performance standards and enforceable product requirements that drive reduction, reuse, and recyclability  

Legislation should require producers to meet clear, measurable standards for reduction, reuse, and recyclability. All packaging must be eliminated, reduced or redesigned so that, by a defined date, it is reusable/refillable, recyclable in established municipal systems, or certified compostable where appropriate. Standards should be material-specific, tied to real-world collection and processing conditions, and enforced through penalties for non-compliance.

2. Protect the definition of recycling by setting strong requirements for responsible end markets, measuring recycling rates, and measuring recycled content. 

EPR programs must prevent greenwashing and ensure that materials claimed as recycled are real, traceable, and verifiable. Laws should require transparent, auditable accounting, set minimum yield standards, and prohibit mass-balance credit trading—both proportional and non-proportional—or any method that claims recycled content without physical material in the product. Programs should also support domestic, responsible, end markets to ensure collected materials are truly recycled into new products and environmental justice is prioritized.

3. Ensure high-quality, locally-responsive recycling services 

EPR programs should maximize the use of existing recycling infrastructure and give local governments flexibility in how services are provided. Programs should fund and support regionally-relevant education that reflects local community demographics and values. Bidding and contracting processes for service providers should be open and competitive, with reimbursement structures that incentivize higher labor standards, cleaner bales, community benefits, and other performance criteria—not just the lowest cost.