NEW PACKAGING COMPLIANCE RULES EVERY CPG FOUNDER SHOULD KNOW IN 2026

EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY IS HERE

extended producer responsibility, or epr, requires brands to report detailed packaging data and pay material based fees. reporting began in 2025 across oregon, colorado, minnesota, and california, and more states are expected to follow.

2025 was the year brands were forced to start collecting this data. 2026 is the year the smart ones start using it strategically instead of treating it as a compliance chore. material choices that used to be a pure design decision now come with a real cost attached, and that cost is visible earlier in the process than it used to be.

CLAIMS ARE UNDER SCRUTINY

california's sb 343 targets misleading recyclability claims and symbols, though a federal court granted a preliminary injunction in july 2026 blocking enforcement while the law faces a first amendment challenge. the direction is clear even if the exact rules are still moving. vague or decorative "eco friendly" marks that don't reflect actual recyclability are increasingly a legal liability, not just a marketing choice.

if your packaging makes any sustainability claim right now, that claim needs to survive a much closer read than it did two years ago.

CONNECTED PACKAGING IS BECOMING AN EXPECTATION

the eu's digital product passport, mandatory since 2024, requires that consumers be able to trace a product's origin and disposal instructions. that's accelerating a broader shift toward connected packaging, usually a qr code, that carries sourcing, story, and disposal information beyond what a printed label can fit.

this started as a regulatory requirement in certain markets. it's turning into a consumer expectation more broadly, especially for anything positioned as premium or transparent.

THE COMPOSTABLE CLAIM TRAP

compostable packaging sounds like a safe, positive claim. right now it's one of the messier ones. industry groups are still pushing regulators for a clearer definition of what actually counts as acceptable compost material, which means a claim that's technically true in one jurisdiction can be misleading in another.

if compostability is part of your story, get specific about what that actually means and where, rather than using the word as a general vibe.

FINAL THOUGHT

none of this needs to slow you down if you build it into the design process early instead of bolting it on at the end. brands treating compliance as a design input, not an afterthought, are the ones avoiding expensive reprints and awkward retractions later.

not sure what your packaging claims can actually hold up. get in touch before you go to print, not after.