HB4258 Summary: Packaging Stewardship Program

• Amends the Environmental Protection Act to establish a packaging stewardship program where the EPA contracts with a stewardship organization to manage packaging material collection, recycling, and funding.

• Beginning one year after the contract is effective, producers must comply with program requirements or cannot sell products in Illinois; non-compliance lists are published on the EPA's website.

• Producers pay the stewardship organization based on the weight or volume of packaging material they sell, with different rates for readily recyclable versus non-recyclable materials; low-volume producers (1-15 tons annually) pay flat fees capped at $500/ton and $7,500 total annually.

• Participating municipalities receive annual reimbursements from a stewardship fund for median per-ton costs of managing both readily recyclable and non-recyclable packaging materials they collect.

• The stewardship organization must submit annual reports, conduct audits of recycling facilities and waste streams, make education and infrastructure investments approved by the EPA, and the EPA must report to the legislature annually starting February 2025 with program data and recommendations.