Since 2021, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislative landscape in the U.S. has been rapidly evolving, with Minnesota most recently joining the list of states with packaging EPR laws in place, alongside Maine, Oregon, California, and Colorado. 

In 2024, we have seen that EPR for packaging has been introduced as a bill in nine other states. The NLCRC has determined that the EPR laws will affect packaging in the petroleum/automotive sectors, and other areas where lubricants and related products are used. As EPR legislation continues to gain momentum, understanding and preparing for these changes is crucial for producers and other members of the value chain. 

On July 30th, the NLCRC will present on a Packaging EPR Panel at the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) Virtual Town Hall. We will share an overview of the proactive approach the NLCRC is taking for EPR compliance in collaboration with the Lubricant Packaging Management Association (LPMA). We will explain the roles of LPMA and NLCRC in driving the optimization of recycling systems to address the challenge of “hard to recycle” plastics, and the limited recycling capabilities or collection infrastructure for petroleum and related packaging in the U.S. 

The National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition or “NLCRC” is an industry-led coalition funded by a committed consortium of value chain stakeholders focused on establishing solutions for the recovery and recycling of packaging for petroleum-based and related products utilized in the transportation and industrial applications Industry. 

Members include Berry Global, Castrol (part of bp Group), Chevron, CKS Packaging Inc., ExxonMobil, Graham Packaging, Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association, Lucas Oil, Nexus Circular, Pennzoil - Quaker State Company, Petroleum Packaging Council, Plastipak Packaging, RPM eco, Safety-Kleen, and Valvoline. For more information, visit https://www.nationallcrc.com