U.S. Plastics Pact

The U.S. Plastics Pact (USPP) is a multi-stakeholder coalition bringing together businesses, NGOs, governments, and recyclers that work together toward a common vision of a circular economy for plastics, as outlined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Initiative. This vision aims to ensure that plastics never become waste by eliminating the plastics we don’t need, innovating to ensure that the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating all the plastic items we use to keep them in the economy and out of the environment.

The Pact provides nationally aligned design guidance, performance frameworks, and policy principles to support scalable systems change. USPP’s nationally harmonized guidance on recyclability, data, funding, fee structures, and end markets helps states craft EPR systems that are transparent, equitable, practical, and consistent for producers across states.

Recommendations for Policymakers Developing Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging

1. Build Transparent, Equitable, and Aligned EPR Systems‍

• Require robust reporting, verification, and accountability across all entities to ensure trust and track progress.
• Embed equity provisions so that infrastructure improvements benefit historically underserved communities.
• Align state frameworks with nationally harmonized elements such as core definitions, performance metrics, covered materials, and fee categories while preserving flexibility for state-specific implementation needs.
• Draw on nationally recognized guidance, including the USPP Roadmap 2.0, EPA’s Waste Management Hierarchy, and design guidance such as APR and USPP Design Playbooks.

2. Create Sustainable Funding Systems With Clear, Measurable Incentives

• Funding Model: Clearly define how system costs are covered. This should be determined state-by-state based on e.g., infrastructure and costs, existing data, policy goals, and end market conditions.
• Establish a state-specific funding model that covers essential system costs: collection, processing, transportation, infrastructure, reporting, education, administration, and end-market development.
• Fee-Setting & Eco-Modulation: Base fees on material type and system costs; introduce eco-modulated fees to incentivize recyclability, domestically-sourced PCR use, and design improvements. Bonuses and penalties must be transparent and measurable. Recommended design guidelines include APR Design Guidelines and USPP’s Design Playbooks.
• Ensure financial mechanisms allow for adequate upfront investment in infrastructure and innovation, especially in underserved regions.
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3. Set Achievable, Scalable Performance Standards and Support Responsible End Markets

• Establish a state-specific funding model that covers essential system costs: collection, processing, transportation, infrastructure, reporting, education, administration, and end-market development.
• Define state-appropriate performance targets (e.g., recycling, reuse, composting, source reduction, PCR content) through a post-legislation regulatory process, starting with achievable benchmarks that increase over time.ChC
• Fee-Setting & Eco-Modulation: Base fees on material type and system costs; introduce eco-modulated fees to incentivize recyclability, domestically-sourced PCR use, and design improvements. Bonuses and penalties must be transparent and measurable. Recommended design guidelines include APR Design Guidelines and USPP’s Design Playbooks.
• Use verified, responsible end-market criteria, prioritizing domestic markets and requiring chain-of-custody verification and guardrails for both mechanical and advanced recycling.
• Ensure financial mechanisms allow for adequate upfront investment in infrastructure and innovation, especially in underserved regions.
• Apply harmonized material definitions using ISO standards, ensuring B2C packaging is covered and allowing optional phased inclusion of B2B packaging.
• Minimize exemptions and reassess scope periodically to maintain relevance as markets evolve.