Hawaii to Assess Establishment of an EPR Program to Reduce Packaging and Paper Waste

On May 27, 2025, Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed into law HB750, which requires the Department of Health to conduct a statewide assessment to determine what would be needed to establish an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for packaging materials and paper products. The aim of the program is to reduce waste generation, increase reuse, improve recycling collection services, and expand local processing of materials. 

Noting that solid waste in Hawaii may soon exceed landfill capacity, the bill states that the assessment should predict how an EPR program can promote “packaging redesign and optimization, and reduction of packaging materials….” The bill also states that the assessment should determine what would be needed to transition to a more circular system, what infrastructure would be necessary to locally process recyclable materials, and the costs that would be incurred.

The needs assessment is to be conducted by an advisory council and have annual funding of $41.5 million in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The final report is due to the legislature by December 31, 2027.