Maryland Governor Signs Law Establishing EPR Program for Packaging and Paper Products
On May 13, 2025, Maryland’s Governor, Wes Moore, signed into law SB 901 establishing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for packaging and paper products in Maryland. Maryland is now the sixth state in the U.S. to implement an EPR scheme that includes packaging materials and/or paper products, joining California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon.
The EPR law follows on Maryland’s 2023 law that required an EPR needs assessment, which was completed earlier this year. As with the other enacted EPR laws for packaging, packaging is defined under the Maryland EPR law to encompass a broad range of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging made of various materials. In addition to other limited exemptions, SB 901 exempts covered materials that are distributed to commercial or business entities rather than to consumers. SB 901 requires “producers” of covered packaging and paper products to join a “Producer Responsibility Organization,” pay dues to that organization, and eventually to meet certain sustainability goals. In the meantime, the state will undertake rulemaking to develop implementing regulations under the new law.