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The National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) released a new Circular Economy Policy Guide and, together with the Stewardship Action Foundation (SAF), officially announced the national expansion of their Packaging / Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Implementation Working Group. The effort builds on the proven success of California鈥檚 SB 54 Working Group and coincides with NSAC鈥檚 tenth anniversary, marking a decade of impact and advancing circular-economy policy across the United States.听

With more than 200 active participants representing over 100 organizations from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the working group has been instrumental in advancing implementation of California鈥檚 landmark SB 54 law, which once fully implemented will be the largest packaging EPR program in the world. As part of the Working Group, members track regulatory developments in real time, surface risks early, and build a shared understanding of what packaging EPR looks like in practice.听

鈥淔rom the introduction of SB 54 through its negotiation, passage, and rulemaking, we鈥檝e been fully committed to advancing California鈥檚 EPR program with integrity and intent as California鈥檚 program will be the largest in the world when implemented,鈥� said Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director/CEO of NSAC and SAF. 鈥淎s more states advance and implement packaging EPR, interest holders need guidance on how these systems work in the real world. This national expansion creates a space to learn across states in real time and improve outcomes that the environmental, economic, and public-health benefits they were designed to achieve.鈥�

Now NSAC and SAF are scaling their proven model to a national stage as packaging EPR laws move forward in Oregon, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington, while continuing to see California through to full success. 听“Once SB 54 passed, so many of us were looking at each other thinking, ‘wow, now what? We have to figure out how to make this thing work. And that’s where the SB 54 Implementation Group has been so valuable,鈥� said Caroline DeLoach, Director of Sustainability at Atlantic Packaging and a participant in the now national working group. 鈥淭his diverse group of stakeholders from across the supply chain, non-profits, jurisdictions, and more have closely watched and informed each milestone, including pressure-testing each draft of the regulations, to make sure that the rollout of SB 54 maintains the spirit and goals of the statute. I’m so grateful we’ve had this group to share ideas and opinions to make EPR work not only in California, but in the other emerging states, too.”

In addition to expanding the packaging working group, NSAC released a new guide, Designing What Works: From Policy to Practice in America鈥檚 Circular Economy听offers practical guidance for policymakers and interest holders seeking solutions that work, including:听

• Policy design principles that prioritize public health and essential worker safety听

• Lessons from real-world stewardship programs across the U.S.听

• Implementation considerations for markets, infrastructure, compliance, and enforcement听

• Strategies that strengthen domestic end markets and resilient supply chains听

• Tools for engaging stakeholders and sustaining progress over time听

The guide reflects NSAC鈥檚 experience advancing circular economy polices across their full lifecycle from drafting and negotiation through rulemaking and implementation and outlines the policy tools, design principles, and implementation considerations that help deliver real-world results for companies, governments, American workers, and communities.听听

Policy areas addressed in the guide include packaging, deposit return systems, household hazardous waste, sharps/medical waste, and textiles and carpet. 听NSAC and SAF convene trusted, pre-competitive working groups where interest holders engage early, share lessons, surface risks, and shape policies and solutions that work in the real world. 听鈥淧ublishing this guide reflects our work to scale evidence-based policies and solutions that are rooted in on-the-ground experience and work,鈥� said Heath Nettles, Deputy Director of NSAC and SAF. 鈥淥ur national working groups are where the people shaping these systems get ahead of what鈥檚 coming, understanding what it means for them, surfacing risks early, and preparing together before decisions are locked in.鈥�

That working group value is already evident with California鈥檚 SB 54. CalRecycle has revised its proposed regulations, with particular focus on food and agricultural packaging, and has reopened a shortened public comment period on the updated draft. As outlined in NSAC鈥檚 recent statement on the revised regulations, exclusions for food and agricultural packaging have been a key concern raised through formal comment letters and testimony and one that participants have continued to unpack in real time through the SB 54 Working Group. 听

鈥淭his is what it looks like to be in front of and collaboratively shape change, not chase it,鈥� Nettles said. 鈥淥ur national working groups are where the people shaping these systems see what鈥檚 coming, understand what it means for them, and influence how it unfolds before the rules are set and the doors close.鈥� 听

To download NSAC鈥檚 complimentary Circular Economy Policy Guide: Designing What Works: From Policy to Practice in America鈥檚 Circular Economy, visit To learn more and get involved in NSAC and SAF鈥檚 national working groups, including the National Packaging / EPR Implementation Working Group, visit 听