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EPR laws add packaging costs for supplement makers
California and Oregon's extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws are still active for supplement packaging, even with legal challenges. This means brands have to pay for the end-of-life management of their packaging. Colorado, however, carves out an exemption for FDA-regulated dietary supplement containers, giving those brands a break there.
California and Oregon's extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws are still active for supplement packaging, even with legal challenges. This means brands have to pay for the end-of-life management of their packaging. Colorado, however, carves out an exemption for FDA-regulated dietary supplement containers, giving those brands a break there.
The architecture take
The new EPR laws hitting supplement brands in states like California and Oregon aren't about your personal health, they're about the industry's bottom line. When manufacturers have to pay for the recycling or disposal of their packaging, that cost gets baked into what you pay for your magnesium or your fish oil. It's not a direct hit to your gut microbiome or your sleep cycles, but it does shift market dynamics. Brands will likely rethink packaging choices, maybe even reformulate to reduce material. The real play here is that policy moves like this tend to spread. Expect more states to follow suit, eventually making everyone pay a little more for their pills. Colorado's exemption for FDA-regulated supplements is a temporary win for those brands, but I wouldn't bet on it lasting forever.