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1 0 Pallet C e nt ral • Ma rch -Ap r il 2 0 26 PLAY POLICY AT E xtended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are rapidly reshaping packaging policy worldwide. For policymakers, the purpose of creating EPR programs is to shift the responsibility for managing packaging waste—including financing, reporting, and end of life obligations—from governments to the producers who place that packaging into commerce. ey are attempting to reduce waste, improve recycling performance, and drive innovation in more sustainable packaging systems. While EPR laws differ widely in structure, they share a common goal: ensuring that the users of packaging materials with the greatest environmental impact bear the greatest financial and regulatory responsibility. Around the world, governments are adopting ambitious EPR frameworks. In the European Union, the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) seeks to harmonize reuse, recycling, and material reduction standards across all member states. PPWR emphasizes stringent recycling targets, mandatory recycled content requirements, and broad producer responsibility. Like many EPR systems, PPWR recognizes the fundamental difference between reusable transport packaging and disposable consumer packaging. In the US, states such as Oregon, Colorado, Maine, and Maryland have enacted packaging EPR laws of their own. Importantly, most of these laws exclude wooden pallets, acknowledging their durable, reusable, and circular nature. ese precedents underscore a broad understanding that wooden pallets are one of the most sustainable forms of transport packaging and should not fall under traditional EPR frameworks. For businesses across the supply chain, these laws are significantly influencing material choices, packaging design, and operational costs. at is why as California moves to implement Senate Bill 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, it is critical to the wood pallet industry that they do not deviate from the set precedent that wooden pallets are not within the scope. Extended Producer Responsibility GLOBAL TRENDS AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR THE WOODEN PALLET INDUSTRY BY KATE DOHERTY

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