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 preliminary 2027 fee schedule (October 1, 2026, non-binding until CalRecycle approves the program plan) or its 2026 Early Fee; Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington are modeled as projections until each state publishes a program fee schedule; the 2027 Washington early fees are listed on the Washington page and are not in the calculators.

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Facts on this page were last verified against primary sources on October 8, 2026. The EPR Atlas is re-checked weekly, and this stamp moves only when a verification pass runs.

Estimates are for planning only and are not legal or compliance advice. Oregon, Colorado, and California are priced from their own schedules (the 2026 and 2027 Oregon fee and Colorado dues schedules, and CAA's preliminary 2027 California schedule or its 2026 Early Fee); Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington are modeled with a multiplier on Oregon's rates until each publishes a program fee schedule; the 2027 Washington early fees are listed on the Washington page and are not in the calculators. Confirm final figures with the Circular Action Alliance producer portal or the relevant state agency.
This tool prices everything you enter as covered material and does not model exemptions. If a line is excluded in the state you picked, the estimate is too high by that line, and several exclusions are conditional or need an approved application rather than being automatic. Check the Exclusions and exemptions rows on the state page before you use a number, or run the Scope Screener.
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. For how the 2027 rates changed and how the states compare, get the one-page summary, or see every category with its 2026 and 2027 rates in the 2027 fee schedule deep dive.
State & Material Tonnage
Material
MT / Year
Base Rate/MT
Scenarios

Use Scenario A and B to model portfolio changes such as material switches, tonnage reductions, and 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
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Baseline
Scenario A
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Scenario B
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For California, pick the rate year. With 2027 selected, the estimate uses CAA's preliminary 2027 schedule (published October 1, 2026), which is non-binding until CalRecycle approves the program plan. Plastic categories include the 3¢/lb reuse and 26¢/lb PPMF fees on their full weight. Cartons and poly-coated paperboard take them on the plastic share you enter, and a blank share uses 20%, the Carton Council’s polyethylene share of a refrigerated carton, so enter your own for cups and coated board. The 0.1¢ PPMF fee per plastic component is not included. With 2026 selected, it uses the six flat rates in the California 2026 Early Fee card below.
Oregon and Colorado use their published 2026 or 2027 schedules, by the rate year you pick. Oregon's 2027 rates include CAA's reserve drawdown, so two are negative. Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington show projected estimates from Oregon's 2026 rates. Washington's 2027 charge is the early fee CAA published October 1, 2026, listed on the Washington page and not priced here. 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.
I help companies reduce EPR fees through design, material, and data decisions. Contact me about advisory work.
Oregon tiered flat fee for low-volume producers
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 cheaper and less work, because it removes the component-level rate calculation. Colorado offers a comparable optional flat dues structure for producers supplying 10 short tons or less, shown in the next card. Maine's statute requires a tiered flat fee option for low-volume producers (more than 1 ton but less than 15 tons of packaging) of no more than $500 per ton and $7,500 a year (38 M.R.S. §2146(1)(G) and (13)(A)(1)(a)), and Maryland has none.
Who can elect it:
The flat fee is the same for every material mix within a band. 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. Neither the approved plan nor the 2026 and 2027 fee schedules say whether a flat-fee payer can still claim Oregon's LCA bonuses, so ask CAA before assuming either way, and run both numbers.
Source:
Colorado flat dues for low-volume producers
CAA Colorado offers an optional flat rate for low-volume producers so they can skip material-by-material dues. It is graduated by the tons supplied into Colorado and does not vary by material category. Colorado's bands are in short tons (2,000 lb), and Oregon's flat fee bands are in metric tons.
Who can elect it:
Colorado's dues for common recyclable formats are low, so a light, recyclable mix near the bottom of a band can come out cheaper on the per-pound calculation. Compare them in the estimator above.
Source:
California 2026 early fee
California has two fee instruments. The 2026 Early Fee below is the one producers were invoiced for program year 2026: six flat per-pound rates, published by CAA on July 20, 2026 and revised August 25, 2026. The ongoing per-CMC program fee begins in 2027; CAA published preliminary 2027 rates on October 1, 2026, non-binding until CalRecycle approves the program plan.
Both calculators price this early fee when you pick 2026, and CAA's preliminary 2027 schedule when you pick 2027.
Source:
Fee schedule status by state

Both calculators can only be as current as the schedules the states and their PRO have 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. The board is reviewed monthly. 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. Oregon, Colorado, and California publish a rate per pound for each covered material, and the calculator converts those rates to metric tons and applies this formula:

Annual Fee = Tonnage × Rate per Ton, adjusted for any eco-modulation credit or surcharge

To use the tool above:

The tool covers 22 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-pound program fees today, and California producers have been invoiced its 2026 Early Fee. California uses CAA's preliminary 2027 schedule (October 1, 2026) for 2027 and its 2026 Early Fee Schedule, six flat per-pound rates, for 2026. 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 2026 early fees invoiced from August 2026; program fees 2027 (post program plan approval) 2027 rates preliminary
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 No producer fee start date set; the first reimbursement floor is Feb 1, 2029 (50% of net costs, 115A.1455 subd. 4), and the PRO may charge member fees earlier (115A.1443 subd. 3(c)) Projected
Maryland SB 901 No producer fee start date set; the first reimbursement floor is Jul 1, 2028 (Md. Envir. 9-2505(e)(1)(ii)), and PRO registration fees pass to members now (COMAR 26.04.14.07C(2)) Projected
Washington E2SSB 5284 2027 early fees published October 1, 2026 (CAA, eight per-pound rates; invoice timing not published; RCW 70A.208.040(3)(b)); cost-share ramp Feb 15, 2030 to 2032 Projected

EPR fees by state

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees differ by state in both timing and structure. Oregon and Colorado charge published per-pound fees today, California has a flat-rate 2026 early fee plus a preliminary 2027 per-CMC schedule published October 1, 2026, Maine sets fees once its Stewardship Organization is selected, Washington has the 2027 early fees CAA published October 1, 2026 with no invoice date, and Minnesota and Maryland have no producer fee schedule yet; the three statutes set service-provider reimbursement floors that ramp from 50% to 90%. 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 2026 and 2027 fee schedules (per pound, by material)
Colorado Yes January 2026 - ACTIVE Published 2026 and 2027 dues schedules (per pound, by material)
California No 2026 early fees invoiced from August 2026; program fees 2027 (post program plan approval) Preliminary 2027 schedule (CAA, October 1, 2026) or the 2026 Early Fee
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 No producer fee start date set; the first reimbursement floor is Feb 1, 2029 (50% of net costs, 115A.1455 subd. 4), and the PRO may charge member fees earlier (115A.1443 subd. 3(c)) No program fee schedule yet; statute sets service-provider reimbursement floors from 50%, ramping to 90%
Maryland No No producer fee start date set; the first reimbursement floor is Jul 1, 2028 (Md. Envir. 9-2505(e)(1)(ii)), and PRO registration fees pass to members now (COMAR 26.04.14.07C(2)) No program fee schedule yet; statute sets service-provider reimbursement floors from 50%, ramping to 90%
Washington No 2027 early fees published October 1, 2026 (CAA, eight per-pound rates; invoice timing not published; RCW 70A.208.040(3)(b)); cost-share ramp Feb 15, 2030 to 2032 No program fee schedule yet; statute sets service-provider reimbursement floors from 50%, 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 final fee rates by material

Rates apply before eco-modulation and are the final fee rates from Oregon's published 2027 and 2026 fee schedules, which in 2027 are after CAA's reserve drawdowns. Oregon's 2027 rates include CAA's return of about $80 million in reserves, and two are below zero, aluminum cans and natural HDPE bottles. Rates rise sharply for hard-to-recycle materials. Per-pound figures are for 2027 (1 metric ton = 2,204.62 lb). The 2027 fee schedule deep dive lists every category in Oregon, Colorado, and California with both years.

Material / Packaging TypeOregon 2027 / Metric TonOregon 2026 / Metric Ton2027 Rate / lbTier
Aluminum, cans −$198 $132 −$0.09 Tier 1
Clear PET (#1) $419 $551 $0.19 Tier 2-3
HDPE Natural (#2) −$88 $198 −$0.04 Tier 1
Steel $88 $220 $0.04 Tier 1
Uncoated Paper/Board $110 $176 $0.05 Tier 1
Corrugated $44 $176 $0.02 Tier 1
HDPE Pigmented (#2) $441 $705 $0.20 Tier 2-3
PP (#5) $463 $838 $0.21 Tier 2-3
Glass $0 $220 $0.00 Tier 1
LDPE Film / Mono-PE $265 $948 $0.12 Tier 2-3
PS Rigid (#6) $970 $2,138 $0.44 Tier 4
Expanded Polystyrene $1,631 $3,042 $0.74 Tier 4

Tier 1 (low fee): widely recycled materials such as aluminum, steel, 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, and switching out high-tier materials usually saves more than credits do.

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. 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?
The programs with published fee schedules (Oregon, Colorado, and California) set a rate per pound for each covered material, which the calculator converts to metric tons: Annual Fee = Tonnage (metric tons) x Rate per ton, adjusted for any eco-modulation credit or surcharge. You report the weight of each covered material you place on a state's market, multiply by that material's 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's per-category fees begin in 2027, after a flat 2026 Early Fee that has already been invoiced, and the calculator prices California from CAA's preliminary 2027 schedule (October 1, 2026) or the 2026 Early Fee, by the rate year you pick. 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 program fee schedule, the calculator shows projections from Oregon's rates.
Are the calculator's fee estimates official?
No. Oregon, Colorado, and California are priced from their own schedules (the 2026 and 2027 Oregon fee and Colorado dues schedules, and CAA's preliminary 2027 California schedule or its 2026 Early Fee); Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington are modeled with a multiplier on Oregon's rates until each publishes a program fee schedule; the 2027 Washington early fees are listed on the Washington page and are not in the calculators. 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, and it cannot check your input. Because Oregon's fees are per-pound rates, a wrong sales-volume figure changes the fee on its own, with no change to any rate or category. Nothing here can tell you that the tonnage you entered is the wrong tonnage, so before acting on an estimate confirm it is covered material only, that weight means the empty component rather than the filled product, and that it is what was placed into that state rather than what was produced or shipped nationally.
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 for disclosure, Bonus B for impact reduction, and Bonus C for switching to reusable or refillable packaging (added by the amendment DEQ approved September 12, 2025), and Oregon applies no maluses and no flat attribute credits this cycle. Colorado sets four active bonuses in rule at 1% each for on-package sorting instructions, local end use, compostability, and a case study (6 CCR 1007-2 Part 1 s18.9.2), plus passive material-based factors already built into the published dues rates. California's preliminary 2027 rates already include two passive 5% factors, a bonus for high-recycling materials and a malus for materials neither recyclable nor compostable, 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.