Tetra Tech’s AJ Guikema shares how companies can navigate fragmented U.S. packaging laws and build compliance systems that reduce risk and support long-term flexibility.
A growing number of U.S. states are implementing their own packaging regulations focused on sustainability, recycled content, and extended producer responsibility (EPR). Without a national framework, companies are facing a more fragmented regulatory environment that requires careful tracking, quick adaptation, and strategic coordination across internal teams. As compliance expectations evolve, Tetra Tech experts help businesses build flexible systems that support long-term regulatory resilience.
Understanding changing state-level packaging regulation
State governments are driving change through new packaging legislation that increases producer accountability for the environmental impacts of their materials. Laws vary widely across jurisdictions, but often include mandatory EPR programs, minimum recycled content requirements, restrictions on certain materials, and more prescriptive labeling standards.
This decentralized approach creates challenges for companies with regional or national reach. Each state enacting new rules adds to the compliance burden, especially when timelines, definitions, and reporting formats differ. Companies must now understand and respond to overlapping obligations, often with limited implementation windows and high expectations for data quality. As compliance expectations evolve, Tetra Tech experts help businesses build flexible systems that support long-term regulatory resilience.
Identifying key trends influencing packaging decisions
Several policy themes are influencing how companies approach packaging. EPR laws increasingly require producers to fund recovery and recycling systems and to report detailed data on packaging usage. Recycled content mandates are prompting businesses to rethink material sourcing, availability, and traceability. At the same time, state-specific bans and recyclability labeling laws are driving design changes and affecting consumer communication strategies.
Even when two states pursue similar policy goals, the specific requirements and terms can vary. This variability makes it difficult to standardize packaging formats across markets, especially for consumer goods companies that operate nationally. As more states evaluate similar legislation, the number of regulatory variables continues to grow.
With more states enacting packaging laws, companies that invest in flexible systems now will be better positioned to lead tomorrow.
Aligning your teams around packaging compliance
For many businesses, managing packaging compliance has become a cross-functional challenge. Regulatory, sustainability, procurement, and marketing teams all have a role in adapting materials, redesigning packaging, and ensuring accurate data collection. Tetra Tech works with client teams to streamline coordination and integrate packaging compliance into core business processes.
Compliance tracking itself is no small task. Staying informed about proposed and enacted legislation, identifying product- and market-specific rules, and make timely operational changes are all common components of effective compliance management. On the reporting side, EPR laws often require detailed metrics on packaging composition, weights, volumes, recyclability, and more—typically pulled from multiple suppliers and systems.
Companies also face reputational and operational risks. Failure to comply could lead to penalties or product restrictions in key markets. Delays in adapting packaging designs may affect time to market or increase costs. These pressures are prompting many organizations to reconsider how they monitor and manage packaging regulations.
Developing strategies for resilience and adaptability
To stay ahead, many companies are building flexible compliance systems that can adapt as new state regulations emerge. Common strategies include redesigning packaging to avoid restricted materials, strengthening internal systems for supplier data collection, and incorporating regulatory horizon scanning into broader sustainability efforts.
With more states enacting packaging laws, companies that invest in flexible systems now will be better positioned to lead tomorrow. These strategies not only address current requirements, but also prepare businesses for the future, supporting compliance across multiple jurisdictions even when specific laws vary. Standardizing formats, increasing recycled content, or adopting more universal labeling approaches can reduce redesign cycles, streamline reporting, and maintain market access with fewer disruptions.
Supporting clients in navigating regulatory complexity
Tetra Tech helps clients prepare for evolving packaging laws, reducing the risks of regulatory overlap and regional fragmentation. Companies that prepare now will be better equipped to respond to future obligations under new state rules or broader national or international frameworks.
More than ever, packaging compliance is tied to a company’s sustainability strategy and operational flexibility. Businesses that take a forward-looking approach can not only meet requirements more efficiently, but also reduce long-term risk and unlock innovation. With the right partners and systems in place, organizations can stay compliant and competitive as packaging regulations continue to evolve.
Tetra Tech works alongside businesses to build smart, scalable compliance programs that evolve with the regulatory landscape. Using our Leading With Science® approach, our teams help clients interpret complex state-level legislation, assess packaging risk across portfolios, and implement reporting systems that meet emerging requirements. We support clients in transforming compliance from a reactive burden into a proactive driver of sustainability performance and brand value.
With deep expertise in regulatory interpretation, sustainability data management, and packaging optimization, Tetra Tech enables clients to respond quickly, maintain operational continuity, and lead with confidence in an increasingly regulated environment.
About the author
AJ Guikema
AJ Guikema is a senior project manager with Tetra Tech specializing in environmental and product compliance.
He has more than 25 years of experience helping companies across the automotive, aerospace, electronics, and consumer goods sectors meet evolving regulatory requirements. AJ supports clients with global compliance systems, including International Material Data System (IMDS), REACH, RoHS, and EPR frameworks. His work focuses on integrating data systems, reporting tools, and regulatory interpretation to support scalable compliance.
AJ holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Michigan. He is recognized for his deep expertise in IMDS and CDX and continues to guide clients through changing software and regulatory environments.