CAA moving forward with EPR implementation in Colorado

The joint budget committee (JBC) of the Colorado General Assembly has approved a scenario under which the Circular Action Alliance (CAA), the Washington-based producer responsibility organization (PRO) for Colorado’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging and paper products, could support the state in more than doubling its current recycling rate for these materials by 2035.

The Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act, or H.B. 22-1355, was signed into law in June 2022 and requires producers of packaging and paper products to fully fund and implement a statewide recycling program. In May 2023, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) appointed CAA to develop a convenient, cost-effective program to provide free and equitable recycling of packaging and paper to all Coloradans.

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CAA, a nonprofit formed in 2022 by a group of 18 companies from the food, beverage, consumer goods and retail industries, is serving as the state’s sole PRO.

“CAA is honored to move forward with EPR implementation in Colorado in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and other stakeholders,” Neil Menezes, chair of the CAA Colorado board, says in a news release. “We are prepared to develop a plan proposal that gives all Coloradans convenient and equitable access to recycling and provides companies that are responsible for covered materials the support they need to meet their obligations under the law.”

In January, CAA delivered a comprehensive assessment of the state’s current recycling system and opportunities for system improvement to the CDPHE, achieving its first major milestone since its selection as the state’s PRO. CAA says the needs assessment included three potential recycling system scenarios—low, medium and high—based on the cost and performance of the current system and options for improvement.

The three scenarios laid out in the needs assessment outlined recycling and collection rates the state could meet by 2030 and 2035, as well as the operating and capital costs to reach each scenario. Following a public comment period led by CDPHE, the department recommended the medium scenario to the JBC for approval. The medium path more than doubles the recycling rate for covered materials by building on existing infrastructure, investing in new collection capacity and expanding services in both high population and rural areas.

With the JBC’s decision, CAA will move forward with the development of a plan proposal aligned to the approved recycling scenario and supported by additional stakeholder input and data. The plan proposal is due to CDPHE on or before Feb. 1, 2025.

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As an immediate next step, CAA is requesting that all producers register with the PRO by July 1. Companies that expect to have obligations under Colorado’s EPR law for packaging and paper products can register online and review CAA’s Producer Resources Center for more information.