Multiple states are banning EPS foam food containers, and Oregon’s packaging EPR program begins. Elsewhere, there are bottle bill and hotel product updates.
By Maria Rachal, Waste Dive
Numerous new state packaging policies have taken effect in 2025 already, including bottle bill updates, PFAS bans and restrictions on certain checkout bags. But the halfway point of the year is another common time for provisions to kick in. Multiple states have packaging-related laws taking force in July, including those related to extended producer responsibility and bans on some items.
New Hampshire’s ban on lithium-ion battery disposal goes into effect July 1. Households and businesses alike will need to dispose of the batteries and devices like cell phones, printers, copiers, fax machines and a range of computer accessories at designated drop-off locations.
A new “commingling cooperative” led by brand owners is set to take over deposit collections for Maine’s bottle bill program on July 15. The cooperative will usher in several changes to the program, including looser sorting requirements for redemption centers. The shift was outlined in a bottle bill update the state enacted in 2023.
In Delaware, restaurants and other food service establishments will be prohibited from providing polystyrene foam containers for ready-to-eat food or beverages come July 1. That’s under a 2023 update that also applies to single-service plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks or sandwich picks.
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