The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment selected Circular Action Alliance (CAA) to implement and administer Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling, which was signed into law June 3, 2022. With this designation, CAA becomes the first Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) approved to administer an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for paper and packaging in the U.S.
CAA is a U.S., non-profit organization established to support the successful implementation of EPR laws for paper and packaging, which have also been enacted in California, Oregon, and Maine. Leading companies from the food, beverage, and consumer goods industries founded CAA, including Ferrero; General Mills; Keurig Dr Pepper; L’Oréal; Mars, Incorporated; Nestlé USA; Niagara Bottling, LLC; PepsiCo; Procter & Gamble; The Coca-Cola Company; and Unilever United States. Together, the Founding Members of CAA include several hundred brands utilizing a wide diversity of packaging materials covered under EPR laws.
EPR is a policy framework requiring companies to fund and operate programs that ensure the products and packaging they place on the market are managed responsibly after they are used by consumers. Colorado, like most states with EPR laws, requires the formation of a non-profit PRO to handle compliance with the law on behalf of all producers.
“Circular Action Alliance is honored to be designated as the Producer Responsibility Organization for the State of Colorado and looks forward to helping all paper and packaging producers in Colorado meet their obligations by coordinating, funding, and managing the state’s recycling system,” said Charlie Schwarze, CAA Board Chair and Director of Sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper. “We will continue to work collaboratively with producers, state and local governments, communities, service providers and nongovernmental organizations to support the efficient and effective implementation of EPR for printed paper and packaging.”
In Colorado, and in other states where CAA is approved to operate, the organization will provide services and support for producer compliance and advance its mission of creating a circular economy for paper and packaging across the U.S. Through this work, CAA will develop and implement EPR programs that further innovation in packaging design and delivery models, improve consumer access to recycling, enhance collection systems, increase recycling rates, and generate high-quality recycled materials that can be used over and over in new products and packaging.
The organization will also focus on the consumer experience by providing better access to recycling and clear information so everyone can contribute to EPR system outcomes.