Colorado’s Extended Producer Responsibility program is changing how the state funds, collects, and recycles packaging and paper products. After several years of planning, the program moved into active implementation in 2026.
We are going to go through how the Colorado EPR recycling program works, who it affects, and what the changes could mean for residents, producers, businesses, and local recycling services. At SOCO Waste, we provide trash and recycling services in Colorado Springs, and we want our customers to understand what is changing and what is not.
What Is Colorado’s EPR Recycling Program?
Extended Producer Responsibility shifts the financial responsibility for recycling certain materials away from local governments and taxpayers, and toward the companies that produce, sell, or distribute those materials in the first place.
In Colorado, the program applies specifically to packaging and paper products. The companies connected to those materials pay into a system that funds recycling services across the state.
The program’s stated goals include:
- Expanding convenient recycling access to households across the state, including communities with few options today.
- Creating a consistent statewide list of accepted recyclable materials.
- Funding recycling infrastructure and statewide education to reduce contamination.
- Shifting recycling costs away from local governments and taxpayers.
- Encouraging more sustainable packaging design through how producer dues are calculated.
What Does EPR Stand For?
EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility. In plain terms, it means a producer’s responsibility for a product extends beyond the point of sale to what happens to its packaging afterward.
Traditionally, households pay for recycling locally through municipal budgets, taxes, or subscription fees paid directly to a hauler. EPR changes the funding source, not the act of recycling itself.
It is worth being clear about what that does and does not mean. Residents still sort and set out their recycling the same way. What changes is who pays for the system behind the truck.
When Did Colorado’s EPR Program Begin?
HB22-1355, the Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act, established the framework and was signed into law in June 2022. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment later designated Circular Action Alliance as the producer responsibility organization for packaging and paper products. You can review the official details on CDPHE’s Producer Responsibility program page.
Several milestones have already passed. The requirement that producers participate in the program in order to sell covered materials in Colorado took effect in July 2025, and the first annual producer dues came due in January 2026.
Implementation is now underway. CDPHE approved the final program plan, and the producer responsibility organization began implementing it in mid-2026. Residents and businesses may see changes to recycling services gradually as the rollout continues.
Who Is Affected by Colorado’s New EPR Program?
The program touches several groups differently, and the distinction matters. Understanding which category you fall into makes it much easier to know what applies to you.
How the program affects each group:
- Producers: companies that produce, sell, or distribute covered packaging and paper products now fund the system.
- Businesses: those meeting the definition of a producer have registration and reporting obligations; others may see recycling options expand.
- Waste and recycling providers: collectors and processors can participate in a reimbursement system for eligible services.
- Local governments: communities that operate recycling programs can receive reimbursement for eligible costs.
- Residents: access, collection practices, and accepted materials may change as the program rolls out locally.
What Producers Need to Know
Companies that produce, sell, or distribute covered packaging and paper products in Colorado now carry responsibilities under the EPR system, including registration, reporting, and paying annual dues.
Those dues are what fund recycling services and infrastructure across the state. The fee structure also accounts for the materials used, so packaging choices can affect what a producer pays.
Not every company is covered. The law includes exemptions based on volume and revenue thresholds, so smaller producers may fall outside the requirements entirely. Any business uncertain about its status should review the current criteria with CDPHE or qualified counsel rather than assume.
What Residents Need to Know
For most Colorado households, the day-to-day experience of recycling won’t change overnight. The program is designed to roll out over roughly five years, with the goal of bringing convenient curbside recycling to hundreds of thousands of additional households by 2030.
What residents should keep in mind:
- Recycling access is expanding gradually, community by community, not all at once statewide.
- A consistent statewide list of accepted materials is being phased in over time.
- Some households that currently pay separately for recycling may see those charges change as the system comes online.
- Local guidelines still govern what goes in your bin today.
That last point is the most important one right now. Accepted materials and collection practices still vary by community, so continue following your local recycling guidelines until your provider tells you otherwise.
How Will Colorado’s EPR Recycling Program Change Recycling?
The program is built to expand access and create greater consistency across Colorado recycling programs. Both goals take time, and changes will arrive at different paces in different communities.
Expanded Access to Recycling
A central aim is making recycling services available to households that have historically had few options, particularly in smaller and more rural communities. Producer funding covers the cost, making expansion possible in places where local budgets could not support it.
Early agreements are already in place with several Colorado communities, and more are expected to join as the program matures. This connects to the state’s broader effort to divert recyclable material from landfills.
Changes to Recycling Collection
As EPR requirements take effect, local recycling providers may adjust collection schedules, accepted materials, or service structures. These adjustments are a normal part of a system-wide transition.
SOCO Waste currently provides curbside recycling in Colorado Springs. We also serve businesses through our commercial trash service, and we will communicate directly with our customers about any changes that affect their service.
SOCO Waste Supports Colorado Recycling
As a locally owned, family-operated company, we have a direct stake in how this transition goes for Colorado Springs households and businesses.
Our advice to customers is simple: stay current on recycling rules, because requirements and accepted materials will continue to evolve over the next several years. What is accepted today may expand as the statewide list takes shape.
Colorado’s EPR program is ultimately designed to create broader access to recycling while placing greater responsibility for covered materials on the producers who put them into the market. For most residents, that should mean more recycling options over time, not more work.
Staying informed and working with a local provider is the easiest way to address the changes as they arrive. Call SOCO Waste at (719) 357-8855 to set up your trash service, or contact us online with questions about recycling in your area.