Why Canada's Unified Ecodesign Guidelines Matter for the Next Generation of EPR

Canada’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging programs, which were developed and implemented decades earlier than the U.S. EPR programs, offer insights into what may lie ahead for the future of United States EPR programs. A central theme is harmonization of the programs across jurisdictions, including a coordinated effort by several of Canada’s current producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to create shared ecodesign guidelines that support greater recyclability of packaging and paper products across Canada.

This Centralized Guidance Strategy Has Ambitious Goals

In late 2025, Canada’s five primary packaging PRO’s, including Circular Materials and Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ),  partnered to launch a unified set of ecodesign guidelines, signaling broad alignment across jurisdictions and reinforcing the intent to move toward greater national consistency in ecodesign expectations. 

The guidelines are intended to provide producers with clearer direction on how to adapt existing packaging and paper practices to comply with EPR requirements across provinces and territories that operate under different regulatory frameworks. An additional objective is to improve the compatibility of packaging and paper products with existing and emerging sorting and recycling infrastructure, reducing inefficiencies across systems.

The shared guidance could create a harmonized baseline that can lower compliance costs, reduce confusion, and accelerate the adoption of more recyclable materials and formats.

What Can We Expect the Guidance to Include?

The unified set of ecodesign guidelines  will use as a foundation the existing recycling  and ecodesign guidelines launched by ÉEQ in October 2024 (“ÉEQ Guidelines”), with technical updates in July 2025. The ÉEQ Guidelines outline the steps required to properly recycle packaging and paper materials in Quebec and identify key considerations that producers can use to inform ecodesigned products capable of moving efficiently through collection, sorting, and processing systems.

The recycling guideline evaluates major stock keeping unit identification codes and categorizes materials based on whether they pose no challenge to recycling, complicate recyclability, or render a package non-recyclable. The examples cover common materials including plastics such as PET, HDPE, and PP variations, as well as paper and cardboard, aluminum, ferrous metals, and glass, all of which are also commonly addressed in U.S. EPR programs.

The ecodesign guideline further introduces foundational ecodesign concepts by encouraging producers to consider packaging utility and material use together. The guidance addresses core elements of reduction, procurement, and recyclability, helping producers assess how material choices, sourcing decisions, and design features influence environmental performance throughout the packaging and paper lifecycle.

Following endorsement, some uncertainty remains regarding how the finalized ecodesign guidelines will integrate the existing ÉEQ Guidelines or incorporate infrastructure considerations unique to other provinces and territories. However, the forthcoming framework is expected to center on three core ecodesign strategies: reduction, procurement, and recyclability.

Reduction emphasizes optimizing the appropriate amount, weight, and volume of packaging and paper products necessary for function and consumer use; procurement, encourages producers to work with environmentally responsible suppliers and prioritize transparent, traceable supply chains that incorporate recycled, renewable, and certified materials; and recyclability focuses on designing packaging and paper products to align with existing and developing sorting and recycling infrastructure.

Looking Ahead

The finalized guidelines are expected to be released by the end of 2026, and their development will be closely watched. Observing how Canada navigates cross-jurisdictional coordination, infrastructure alignment, and producer guidance will provide valuable lessons for the United States as it continues to expand and refine its own EPR programs in the years ahead. Ultimately, Canada’s shift toward a unified framework serves as a strategic roadmap for U.S. programs, suggesting that the path to a sustainable circular economy lies in harmonized standards that reduce complexity for producers and optimize recycling infrastructure across jurisdictions.