Maryland Governor Wes Moore Signs Packaging EPR Law Backed by AMERIPEN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Brendon Holland
Communications Manager
comms@AMERIPEN.org
413-686-9198
Maryland Governor Wes Moore Signs Packaging EPR Law Backed by AMERIPEN
Washington, DC – May 13, 2025 – Following a years long collaborative process supported by AMERIPEN and their partners across the packaging value chain, the association commends Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s signing of SB 901 into law. Maryland is now the sixth U.S. state to adopt a Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law. This legislation sets the stage for modernized recovery and recycling systems that will support Maryland’s circular economy and environmental stewardship.
AMERIPEN played a central role in the development of SB 901, providing expert guidance over several years of policy discussions, supporting the groundwork laid by SB 222 in 2023, and helping to align the bill with key advancements found in Minnesota’s 2024 EPR law. The result is a collaborative, data-informed approach that will deliver meaningful environmental outcomes while remaining efficient and achievable.
“AMERIPEN has long championed packaging policies that are results-based, effective, and fair,” said Lynn Dyer, Executive Director of AMERIPEN. “Governor Moore’s signature on SB 901 reflects years of diligent collaboration and smart policymaking. We are proud to have supported this process every step of the way and look forward to continuing our work to ensure Maryland realizes their goal of a best-in-class recovery and recycling system.”
The new law is the culmination of extensive stakeholder engagement led by AMERIPEN in collaboration with Senator Malcolm Augustine and a bipartisan group of policymakers. SB 901 incorporates consistent, modern EPR principles including shared funding responsibilities, aligned key definitions, and a producer-led Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO).
“Efficient and economically viable recycling and recovery systems are critical to achieve less waste in landfills, lower costs for taxpayers, more sustainable products, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and cleaner communities,” said Maryland Senator Malcolm Augustine, who introduced and helped shepherd SB 901 into law. “This new system aligns incentives for all stakeholders to create an economically efficient, environmentally responsible, circular system of managing packaging and paper materials. All Maryland residents deserve a modern and comprehensive recycling system, and this legislation ensures we can deliver on our state’s commitment to conservation and environmental stewardship.”
Packaging plays a vital role in protecting products and minimizing waste, and Maryland’s new law recognizes that its recovery is a shared responsibility. AMERIPEN is committed to supporting Maryland and stakeholders across the packaging value chain through successful implementation of SB 901.
For more information about AMERIPEN, visit www.ameripen.org.
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AMERIPEN – the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment – is a trade association dedicated to improving packaging and the environment. We are the only material-inclusive packaging industry trade association in the United States representing the entire packaging supply chain. This includes materials suppliers, packaging manufacturers, consumer packaged goods companies, retailers, and end-of-life materials managers. Our membership also includes a robust array of industry, material, and product-specific trade associations who are essential to the AMERIPEN fabric. We focus on science and data to support our public policy positions, and our advocacy and policy engagement is based on rigorous research rooted in our commitment to achieve sustainable packaging policies.