Jason Bergquist is CEO – North America at RecycleMe, the consulting division of Reclay Group International. With more than 35 years of industry experience, Jason has led commercial and municipal waste divisions, material recovery operations across six states, and bottle bill redemption programs in Maine, New York, and California. His career spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, bringing a global perspective to recycling and resource management. Jason holds a Juris Doctor (JD) from John F. Kennedy School of Law and has provided regulatory guidance on Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging, container deposit legislation, Superfund compliance, and hazardous waste management.
SESSION
03:15 PM – 03:30 PM
Wed, May 20, 2026
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino, Sunset 2
EPR in the U.S.: Key Developments & What They Mean For Producers
During this session, Jason will discuss the evolution of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the U.S., beginning with a roadmap as to how the current landscape has developed. He'll delve into the core principles of EPR, the current adoption status across states, and the major challenges posed by the complex political landscape. He will discuss key learnings from the current data reporting cycle. Jason will also address specific obstacles facing plastic and packaging producers, the hurdles to harmonizing EPR standards, and the fragmentation issues affecting implementation. Finally, he'll provide best practices for successful EPR adoption to maximize environmental impact and drive more cohesive compliance efforts.