U.S. Packaging EPR Atlas Extended Producer Responsibility Intelligence Hub
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U.S. Packaging EPR Fee Calculator

Estimate your annual Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging fees across the seven U.S. states with enacted laws. Enter the tonnage of each covered material you place on a state's market and compare your current packaging against two redesign scenarios. Oregon and Colorado fees are live today; California uses CAA's draft 2027 fee schedule (Table 5 of the program plan REVISED June 18, 2026; final rates publish October 2026); Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington are modeled as projections until each state publishes its own rate schedule.

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Facts on this page were last verified against primary sources on August 23, 2026. The EPR Atlas is re-checked weekly; this stamp moves only when a verification pass actually runs, not when the site rebuilds.

Estimates are for planning only and are not legal or compliance advice. Oregon's published 2025-2026 schedule is used as the indicative base; other states are modeled with a multiplier until they publish their own rates. Confirm final figures with the Circular Action Alliance producer portal or the relevant state agency.
Total EPR Fee Estimator
Enter packaging tonnage by material and compare Current exposure against Scenario A and Scenario B. This estimates base fees only; eco-modulation is SKU-specific and modeled in the Unit EPR Fee Calculator. Figures are indicative planning estimates, not for compliance reporting.
State & Material Tonnage
Material
MT / Year
Base Rate/MT
Scenarios

Use Scenario A and B to model portfolio changes - material switches, tonnage reductions, PCR additions.

Editing: Current packaging baseline
Eco-Modulation Options for the Selected State

Eco-modulation adjusts fees up or down based on a SKU's design attributes (recyclability, post-consumer recycled content, labeling, and similar). Because those attributes are specific to each SKU, they are not applied to this portfolio estimate. The options below are what the selected state offers; model them for a specific SKU in the Unit EPR Fee Calculator.

Annual Fee Results
Current
$0
Baseline
Scenario A
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Scenario B
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Reading California? There are two different fee schedules, and this calculator prices the later one. The number above uses CAA's draft 2027 per-material schedule (Table 5, plan revised June 18, 2026; final rates publish October 2026). It is a forward-looking planning figure. What a California producer is actually invoiced for program year 2026 is a separate, already-published schedule of six flat per-pound rates, and it is not modeled here. Get that number from the California 2026 Early Fee card below.
Oregon and Colorado use their actual published 2026 schedules. Other non-active states show projected estimates. This estimate is base fees only; eco-modulation is modeled per SKU in the Unit EPR Fee Calculator. Always verify with your CAA portal for invoicing. See the Fee Schedule Status board below for what is published and what is next.
Seeing a number that needs a strategy? I help companies reduce EPR fees through design, material, and data decisions. Let's talk →
Oregon Tiered Flat Fee - An Option If You Are Small In Oregon
Oregon lets a producer that is above the de minimis line but still low-volume elect a flat fee by tonnage band instead of calculating fees material by material. For a company placing a few tons into Oregon this can be both cheaper and dramatically less work, because it removes the component-level rate calculation entirely. No other active state currently offers this; Maine is reported to have a 1 to 15 ton flat-fee tier but it is unverified, and Maryland has none.
Who can elect it:
Worth modelling before you elect. The flat fee is a ceiling and a floor. If your Oregon tonnage sits near the bottom of a band, or your mix is light materials like aluminum and clear PET, the material-by-material calculation may come out lower. Electing the flat fee also means forgoing eco-modulation credits that reward design changes, including Oregon's LCA bonuses. Run both numbers.
Source:
California 2026 Early Fee - What You Are Actually Invoiced This Year
California has two different fee instruments and they are easy to confuse. The 2026 Early Fee below is the one a producer is invoiced this program year: six flat per-pound rates, published by CAA on . The ongoing per-CMC program fee is separate, begins after plan approval in 2027, and is still in draft.
The fee calculator on this site prices the 2027 draft schedule, not this early fee. Use the table above for a 2026 California invoice estimate, and treat the calculator's California column as a forward look at 2027 once the final schedule publishes.
Source:
Fee Schedule Status: What Is Published, and What Is Next

Both calculators can only be as current as the schedules the states and their PRO have actually published. This board shows, for each of the 7 enacted states, which schedule is in force, when it was published, what the calculators use, and when the next one is expected. Reviewed monthly against the primary sources. Anything marked estimated is a planning figure, not a rate you will be invoiced.

How the calculation works

Most enacted U.S. packaging EPR programs price fees on the weight and type of packaging a producer places on the market, adjusted for how recyclable or low-impact the design is. The calculator applies the standard fee formula used across these programs:

Annual Fee = Tonnage × Base Rate per Ton × Eco-Modulation Multiplier

To use the tool above:

The tool covers 16 material categories and every enacted state, and recalculates instantly as you change inputs.

States covered

The calculator includes all seven states with enacted packaging EPR laws. Only Oregon and Colorado have live per-ton fee obligations today. California uses CAA's draft 2027 schedule here; note that California's separate 2026 Early Fee Schedule, published July 20, 2026, is a flat per-pound schedule that this calculator does not model. The rest are projections.

StateLawFee StartStatus in Calculator
Oregon SB 582 July 1, 2025 - ACTIVE Fees active
Colorado HB 22-1355 January 2026 - ACTIVE Fees active
California SB 54 2027 (post program plan approval) Projected
Maine LD 1541 / LD 1423 Not established; DEP is reassessing its start-up registration and invoicing dates after the RFP drew no bids Projected
Minnesota HF 3911 Feb 1, 2029 (50% cost-share) Projected
Maryland SB 901 2028 or later Projected
Washington E2SSB 5284 2029–2030 Projected

EPR fees by state

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees differ by state in both timing and structure. Oregon and Colorado charge published per-ton fees today, California has a published flat-rate 2026 early fee plus a draft 2027 per-CMC schedule, Maine sets fees once its Stewardship Organization is selected, and Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington use a cost-share model that ramps to 90% of net recycling costs. The table below summarizes where EPR fees stand in each enacted state.

StateFees live?When fees beginHow fees are set
Oregon Yes July 1, 2025 - ACTIVE Published 2025-26 fee schedule (per ton, by material)
Colorado Yes January 2026 - ACTIVE Published 2026 dues schedule (per ton, by material)
California No 2027 (post program plan approval) Draft 2027 schedule (program plan Table 5); final rates October 2026
Maine No Not established; DEP is reassessing its start-up registration and invoicing dates after the RFP drew no bids Set once a Stewardship Organization is selected
Minnesota No Feb 1, 2029 (50% cost-share) Cost-share model: 50% of net recycling costs, ramping to 90%
Maryland No 2028 or later Cost-share model: 50% of net recycling costs, ramping to 90%
Washington No 2029–2030 Cost-share model: 50% of net recycling costs, ramping to 90%

Figures are for planning only and are not compliance advice; verify current rates with each state's producer responsibility organization or agency.

Representative base rates by material

Base rates apply before eco-modulation and are drawn from Oregon's published 2025-2026 schedule. Rates rise sharply for hard-to-recycle materials. Per-pound figures are shown for reference (1 metric ton = 2,204.62 lb).

Material / Packaging TypeRate / Metric TonRate / lbTier
Aluminum, cans $132 $0.06 Tier 1
Clear PET (#1) $551 $0.25 Tier 2-3
HDPE Natural (#2) $198 $0.09 Tier 1
Steel $220 $0.10 Tier 2-3
Uncoated Paper/Board $176 $0.08 Tier 1
Corrugated $176 $0.08 Tier 1
HDPE Pigmented (#2) $705 $0.32 Tier 4
PP (#5) $838 $0.38 Tier 4
Glass $220 $0.10 Tier 2-3
LDPE Film / Mono-PE $948 $0.43 Tier 4
PS Rigid (#6) $2,138 $0.97 Tier 4
Expanded Polystyrene $3,042 $1.38 Tier 4

Tier 1 (low fee): widely recycled materials such as aluminum, clear PET, and corrugated. Tier 4 (high fee): hard-to-recycle materials such as expanded polystyrene, PVC, multi-layer laminates, and metallized film.

How eco-modulation affects the fee

Eco-modulation raises or lowers the base fee based on packaging design. It works differently in each state:

Because Oregon and Colorado cap or limit reductions, eco-modulation lowers fees modestly rather than eliminating them. The biggest savings usually come from switching out high-tier materials, not from credits alone.

Calculating EPR fees per SKU

EPR fees are charged on the packaging you place on the market, so the most accurate way to estimate them is per SKU, built up from a packaging bill of materials. List every component of the SKU (primary container, closure, label, and any film or secondary packaging), record each component's material type and weight, multiply each weight by that material's state base rate per ton, and add the components together. Then apply any eco-modulation credit the SKU qualifies for to get the per-SKU fee.

A per-SKU view shows which products and which components drive the most fee exposure, which is where packaging redesign pays off first. The Per-Unit EPR Fee Calculator builds this up component by component and lets you compare a SKU against redesign scenarios side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How are U.S. packaging EPR fees calculated?
Most enacted state programs use the formula Annual Fee = Tonnage (metric tons) x Base Rate per ton x Eco-Modulation Multiplier. You report the weight of each covered material you place on a state's market, multiply by that material's base rate, then apply any eco-modulation credit or surcharge your packaging qualifies for. The EPR Atlas calculator runs this calculation for every covered material at once and lets you compare your current packaging against two redesign scenarios.
Which states does the EPR fee calculator cover?
All seven U.S. states with enacted packaging EPR laws: Oregon, Colorado, California, Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington. Oregon (since July 2025) and Colorado (since January 2026) have live fee obligations. California fees begin in 2027 and the calculator uses CAA's draft 2027 schedule (Table 5 of the program plan REVISED June 18, 2026), Maine has no fee date at all after its Stewardship Organization RFP closed with no bids in August 2026, and Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington phase in later. For the four states without a published or draft schedule, the calculator shows projections from Oregon's rates.
Are the calculator's fee estimates official?
No. Oregon's 2025-2026 published rate schedule is used as the indicative base, and other states are modeled with a multiplier on those rates until each state publishes its own schedule. Estimates for states without active fees are projections and will change when each program plan is approved. Always confirm final figures with the Circular Action Alliance producer portal or the relevant state agency. The tool is for planning, not legal or compliance advice.
How does eco-modulation change my fee?
Eco-modulation adjusts the base fee up or down based on packaging design. Oregon's 2025-2027 program is bonus-only: the only reductions are three life cycle assessment (LCA) bonuses (Bonus A disclosure, Bonus B impact reduction, Bonus C reuse), and Oregon applies no maluses and no flat attribute credits this cycle. Colorado uses four active design and labeling incentives whose 2026 values CAA has not published, plus passive material-based factors already built into the published dues rates. California's eco-modulated fee values are not assessed until roughly late 2028 or early 2029, and Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington have not yet finalized eco-modulation schedules.
Is the EPR Atlas fee calculator free?
Yes. The fee calculator, the Unit EPR Fee Calculator, the state deep dives, and the Ask Atlas assistant are all free to use, with no login required.
How do I calculate EPR fees per SKU?
Build a packaging bill of materials for the SKU: list every component (container, closure, label, film, and any secondary packaging) with its material type and weight. Multiply each component's weight by that material's state base rate per ton, add the components together, then apply any eco-modulation adjustment the SKU qualifies for. The result is the per-SKU EPR fee. EPR Atlas has a Per-Unit EPR Fee Calculator that runs this for every component at once and lets you compare a SKU against redesign scenarios.