The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has filed a request for a temporary injunction on Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act, joining a legal effort already underway by the National Association of Wholesale Distributors.
The organization represents mills that produce 87% of the pulp, paper, paper-based packaging and tissue products made in the US. The NAW was granted a temporary injunction in February; AF&PA is now seeking the same pause.
AF&PA CEO Heidi Brock stated that extended producer policy (EPR) as a whole is heading down the wrong path.
“In states like Oregon, EPR is poised to result in escalating fees, limited transparency and added complexity while failing to recognize the existing, highly effective paper recycling system,” she said.
The group argues that EPR policy penalizes the industry and creates financial burdens that hinder recycling progress rather than advance it. AF&PA’s membership spans the full value chain, including companies that design products and operate mill-based infrastructure for recycled paper, as well as more than 100 MRFs.
The association points to its 2024 data as evidence that existing systems are working: paper recycled at a rate of 60% to 64% and cardboard at 69% to 74% of material available for recovery, totaling 46 million tons, or roughly 125,000 tons per day.
AF&PA is calling on legislators to “prioritize approaches that build on existing success and deliver measurable improvements” rather than introduce new complexities through EPR frameworks.
A request for comment from Oregon DEQ was not returned by press time.
