Summer 2025
- Martin Mulvihill
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
EPR is Coming
The state of Oregon’s plastic Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law (the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act) came into full effect in July 2025, after being passed in 2021. The law’s purpose is to shift the burden of dealing with packaging waste from local municipalities and consumers to the companies that bring it to market. Other EPR regulations are in various stages of adoption and implementation in California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota.
The Oregon EPR law is administered by Circular Action Alliance (CAA), an NGO with major brand holders such as Kraft Heinz, L’Oreal, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle, Niagara, Pepsico, P&G, SC Johnson, Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Cambell’s, Coca Cola, Colgate Palmolive, Conagra, Danone, Ferrero, General Mills, Georgia Pacific, Ikea, Keurig Dr Pepper as founding members. CAA is designated as the “Producer Responsibility Organization” also in California, Colorado, Maryland, and Minnesota.
At the core of the EPR regulation are fees charged on a per pound basis by the CAA on 60 material types grouped in 8 material categories (print paper, glass, metal, fiber packaging, rigid plastics, flexible plastics, other plastics, wood and other organic materials). The fees are intended to incentivize the use of materials and packaging formats that are easier to recycle.
The fees differentiate between materials, and for certain materials between various packaging formats. For example, the fee for aluminum cans is 6 c / lbs, for aluminum foil is 43 c / lbs, and for aluminum aerosol cans is 73 c / lbs. The fee for corrugated cardboard is 3c / lbs while for poly coated paperboard it is 32 c / lbs.
For plastics the fees range between 17 c / lbs for clear PET bottles, to 82 c / lbs for rigid PVC containers, all the way to 194 c / lbs for expanded polystyrene rigid containers such a fast-food clamshells, or colored polystyrene cushioning. The fee for bio plastic materials such as PLA or PHA is a high 82 c / lbs. Flexible plastic films carry a fee of between 54 c / lbs for PE, and 107 c / lbs for PP, PLA / PHA or laminates. The fee estimates are outlined in CAA’s approved Oregon Program Plan (page 199). All fees cited here are the lower end of the CAA’s fee estimate. Producers with revenues below $10 million or that sell less than 5 metric tons of covered materials in Oregon can opt for a flat fee structure.
The amounts collected from these fees will be used to fund recycling infrastructure and activities, working with local governments, and for education and outreach initiatives. CAA estimates it will disburse between $100 and $120 million to local governments between 2025 and 2027.
We are disappointed that the CAA plan and fee structure give little regard to material toxicity. For example, the fees for PHA’s are the same as the fees for PVC, in rigid container applications. The CAA plan also does not take into consideration composting as a potential waste management option, and does not seem to contain any provisions to develop or expand composting infrastructure. We believe composting is the only realistic solution for materials such as food packaging films that are hard to separate and usually mixed with food waste.
Nevertheless, we believe EPR regulations, if successful and implemented widely, could significantly reduce packaging waste and increase recycling rates in the coming years.
Mimikai Yourself and Keep the Mosquitos Away"
Mimikai is the first insect repellent featuring a new, EPA-approved, active ingredient, 2-undecanone, that repels mosquitoes and ticks as effectively as DEET. 2-Undecanone was originally discovered in wild tomato plants and is both biodegradable and safer than other repellant ingredients.
Mimikai recently featured in Outside magazine’s article on Favorite New Gear.
Neurotoxicants
Neurotoxicants are chemicals and materials that can cause harm and interfere with the development of the nervous system, potentially leading to neurological disorders. We are exposed to neurotoxicants through environmental pollutants, household products, and specific occupational or recreational activities.
Neurotoxic chemicals can disrupt neuronal function through multiple mechanisms including interference with neurotransmitters, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and membrane disruption.
Classes of neurotoxic chemicals include:
Metals such as lead, mercury, aluminum, and manganese are used in pigments, paints, color cosmetics, and building materials.
Organophosphates such as Dichlorvos and Tricresyl phosphate are most often used in pesticides and flame retardants. Some chemicals from the same class, such as (RS)-O-Isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (Sarin) and Ethyl N-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate (VX) are chemical warfare agents.
Organohalogens such Trichloroethylene, Vinyl chloride, and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame retardants in plastics, and solvents.
Petroleum-derived solvents such as Tetrahydrofuran, n-Hexane, and Methanol are widely used.
Certain Ketones such as Formaldehyde and Cyclohexanone are used as binding agents, solvents, pesticides, and preservatives.
Finally, Amines, including Quaternary Ammonium Compounds such as 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), Paraquat, and DEET are used in antimicrobial agents, surface cleaners, personal care products, and pesticides.
The neurological impacts of many of these chemicals have been well documented, but many are still in use. For example, the widespread use of the weed killer Paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease incidence in agriculture workers exposed to it. Paraquat has been banned in 70 countries, but it is still in use in the United States. Its use has increased in recent years as glyphosate (Roundup) has come under closer scrutiny and regulation because of association with cancer, neurotoxicity and reproductive health harms. The substitution of paraquat for glyphosate is an example of a regrettable substitution. In 2024 California passed A.B. 1963, which requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation to reevaluate the use of the herbicides. Advocacy groups are hoping the review will lead to further restrictions or an outright ban on the use of Paraquat in California.
DEET is another chemical that has been restricted for use on children in Europe and Australia, but remains widely available in the United States because of its efficacy at repelling ticks and mosquitos. Recently launched Mimikai is based on a new active ingredient and works as well as DEET, without potentially harmful side effects. Mimikai is available online and through Amazon and in Credo stores across the nation.
Other examples of brands that differentiate by claiming their products are safer because they are tested for heavy metals include Safe Catch and Spring and Mulberry.
We expect a regulatory and consumer environment that continues to narrow the space for the use of neurotoxic chemicals, creating further opportunities for developing and adopting of safer chemistries.
Financings
AtmoCooling develops large-scale evaporative cooling systems that use seawater instead of chemical refrigerants, and raised $2.6 million.
Arda Biomaterials converts spent barley from beer production into sustainable alternatives to leather and plastic, and raised $5.3 million.
Bloom Biorenewables, transforms biomass to create sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products, and raised $15.1 million.
Brevel a neutral-flavored protein from microalgae to be incorporated into various animal-free products, and raised $5 million.
Catalyxx converts bioethanol into biobutanol, biohexanol, biooctanol, and biodecanol for use in industrial applications, and raised $3.4 million.
ChEmpower develops a more sustainable process for polishing semiconductors, and raised $18.7 million.
Conifer makes electric hub motors without rare earth elements, and raised $20 million.
DePoly converts PET plastics into virgin-grade raw materials using a room-temperature chemical recycling process, and raised $23 million.
Eeden developed a chemical textile recycling process to extract raw materials from used cotton garments, and raised $20.5 million.
Fairmat recycles carbon fiber composites, and raised $28.8 million.
Fiberdom transforms wood fibers into a durable, plastic-free material suitable for products like disposable cutlery, packaging, and furniture, and raised $3.8 million.
Fieldstone Bio develops biosensor technology that programs microbes to detect environmental hazards like toxins and explosives, and raised $5 million.
Foundation Alloy designs high-performance alloys for industrial manufacturing, and raised a $7.5 million.
Heron Power is developing solid-state electrical transformers, and is raising $38 million.
InventWood manufactures a strong compressed wood material for use in sustainable building materials, and raised $15 million.
Kind Designs uses 3D printing to manufacture sustainable seawalls that mimic coral reef structures and support marine biodiversity, and raised $5 million.
MirSense, develops laser-based sensors that detect gases in real time, and raised $7.9 million.
Novoloop recycles polyethylene into building blocks for thermoplastic polyurethane, and raised $21 million.
Phoenix Tailings extracts rare earth metals from mining waste using a zero-waste, carbon-free refining process, and raised $33 million.
Remedy Scientific restores contaminated land through an automated system that detects pollutants and applies targeted treatments to break them down, and raised $11 million.
Solena Materials develops synthetic proteins to create high-performance and sustainable materials, and raised $6.7 million.
Sunday offers eco-friendly, subscription-based lawn care products tailored to individual lawns using natural ingredients, and raised $25 million.
Acquisitions
Under Armour acquired Unless Collective, a plastic-free shoe and apparel brand, for $10.5 million.
Occidental Petroleum purchased Holocene, developer of a direct air capture system using amino acid-based chemistry to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Terms were not disclosed.
Kuraray acquired Nelumbo, creator of PFAS-Free surface coatings. Terms were not disclosed.
Also Noted
Green Science Policy Institute launched the Senior Fellows Program.
Dietary fiber may help lower your PFAS body burden. A second study in mice.
MAHA commission report outlining root causes of childhood chronic disease.
New public dataset to help train better AI models for Chemistry.
Cuts to NIOSH could lead to more chemical exposure among workers.
California report addressing microplastics pollution from textiles released.