Packaging EPR glossary

Last verified 2026-10-14

Producer

The business legally responsible for packaging under an EPR law. Usually the brand owner; if there isn't one in the state, the licensee, importer or first distributor may be.

Covered material

Packaging and paper products a state's law applies to. Definitions and exclusions vary by state.

PRO (producer responsibility organization)

A nonprofit that producers join to meet their obligations. It collects supply reports and fees and runs the state program. Circular Action Alliance is the PRO in most current states.

Stewardship organization

Maine's term for the organization that runs its packaging program and invoices producers.

Supply report

An annual report of the weight of covered packaging a producer supplied into a state, broken down by material.

De minimis / small-producer exemption

A threshold (by revenue, tonnage or both) below which a producer is exempt or has reduced duties.

Eco-modulation

Fee adjustments that raise or lower a producer's fees based on packaging design, such as recyclability or recycled content.

Fee schedule

The per-pound (or per-ton) rates a PRO charges by material category for a given program year.

Program year

The year a fee or report applies to. Reports usually cover the prior calendar year's sales.

Approved component

In Tareproof, a packaging component a reviewer has approved. Only approved components count in reports.

Estimate based on published rules and your inputs. Not legal advice. Confirm borderline cases with your PRO or a qualified advisor.