Maryland Enacts Producer Responsibility Law for Packaging and Paper Products

Maryland Senate Bill 901 (SB0901), titled “Environment - Packaging and Paper Products - Producer Responsibility Plans”, was signed into law as Chapter 431 and takes effect on June 1, 2025. Sponsored by Senators Augustine, Love, Brooks, Hester, Kagan, and M. Washington, the law mandates that producers of designated packaging and paper products submit a Producer Responsibility Plan to the Department of the Environment by July 1, 2028, and every five years thereafter. The plan can be submitted individually or through a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). The legislation sets specific requirements for these plans and offers an option for producers to establish alternative collection programs. PROs are required to fund certain Department costs associated with plan review and implementation. This measure seeks to reduce waste, promote recycling, and shift the responsibility of managing packaging waste from consumers and municipalities to producers.