EPR Doesn't Have to Be Scary: A Ghostbusters Guide to North American Packaging Compliance

In North America, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) movement is completely changing who pays for recycling. For decades, local governments covered the costs of the residential recycling system, called the “Blue Box” in Canada. Now, the financial and operational responsibility is shifting directly to the producers—the companies that
manufacture, import, and sell packaged goods.

For any company that sells packaged products—from cereal to soap—this shift means new laws, new fees, and a brand-new compliance headache. The challenge is real because the rules vary across the growing list of US states (like California, Oregon, and Colorado), and in Canadian provinces established programs are changing (like Ontario and the Yukon).

This complexity is magnified for businesses that deal in products with hard to recycle packaging like Halloween candy.

Table of Contents

Case File: The Frightful Situation at Sweet Scares Inc.

Meet Sweet Scares Inc. (a wholly fictional company!). They have a growing business with a large product portfolio, and sales across Canada and the US.

The Problem: All of the new and evolving packaging EPR laws
The Material Nightmare: Sweet Scare Inc. products often come in hard-to-recycle packaging like multi-layer plastic films for gummy pouches and laminated foil
wrappers for mini chocolates.
The Maze of Confusion: In which province or state does Sweet Scare Inc. have EPR obligations? Do they need to track and report the volume and type of primary packaging material only, or secondary and tertiary packaging too?

The complexity of packaging EPR laws that cover the same waste stream but aren’t the same, combined with the sheer volume of complex reporting data—the weight of every tiny wrapper multiplied, and the scattered deadlines across the continent felt impossible to manage.

The Compliance Challenge for All Producers

Whether you sell candy or decor, every producer faces the same three core challenges under North American EPR:

Jurisdictional Mapping: Who is the responsible “producer” (brand owner, importer, etc.) and where exactly are they required to register? EPR laws are a patchwork, meaning a small company might be exempt in one state or province but fully obligated in the next.
PRO Registration & Deadlines: Producers must register with and pay fees to a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) or Stewardship Organization (SO) in each state or province. Missed registration or reporting deadlines may result in steep fines, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars per day.
Reporting Accuracy: You must track the exact weight and material composition of all covered packaging. Mistakes here can mean paying too much or risking fines for under-reporting.

Who You Gonna Call? CGlobal!

When the stress of managing multi-jurisdictional compliance became too much, Sweet Scare Inc. called CGlobal, the EPR consulting division of H2 Compliance. They are compliance ghostbusters, offering not just guidance, but clear, efficient solutions.

Here is the simple, stress-free path CGlobal provided:

Obligation Assessment: CGlobal first performed a full analysis nto map every single state and province where Sweet Scare Inc. was legally required to comply.
Data Centralization: They helped Sweet Scare Inc. establish an easy-to-use, accurate system to collect and organize packaging data (weight, material, recyclability) for all of their products, including that tricky Halloween candy.
PRO Management: CGlobal managed all the complex registrations, reports, and fee payments for the various North American PROs/SOs (like the Circular Action Alliance, CAA). This instantly eliminated the risk of missed deadlines and penalties.
Cost Reduction Strategy: By understanding the rules, CGlobal advised Sweet Scare Inc. on how to shift to more recyclable materials, which lowered their longterm eco-modulated fees.
Thanks to CGlobal, the fictional Sweet Scare Inc. transformed its compliance nightmare into a manageable, routine business expense. They now focus on the treats, not the tricks.

Who you gonna call for your North American EPR needs? CGlobal, the EPR consulting division of H2 Compliance! We’re ready to bust those compliance ghosts for you.