The REM Standard is a draft certification standard developed to support verification of REM requirements established in U.S. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws for paper, packaging and food serviceware.

Recycling systems have become increasingly complex, particularly as EPR laws are adopted in multiple states. While these laws share common objectives, differences in implementation can create fragmented REM requirements, leading to an inconsistent approach for identification, verification and audit.

The REM Standard is intended to support greater alignment and consistency across states, helping end markets operate with a clear standard for verification and audit rather than inconsistent state‑by‑state approaches. At the same time, the standard is designed to improve transparency and confidence in downstream recycling outcomes by defining common expectations for REMs, specifically legal compliance, transparency in chain of custody, environmental soundness, and assurance of processing.

Many EPR laws require that covered materials be managed through REMs. The REM Standard is intended to support CAA’s responsibility to ensure markets receiving covered materials are operating responsibly, which means legally compliant, environmentally sound, transparent in operations and chain of custody, and not improperly landfilling materials that can be processed. This single third-party audit system will minimize the amount of auditing necessary to ensure the global network of recyclers processing EPR covered materials.

No. The REM Standard creates a single audit process whereby an end market can be verified for all requirements across EPR states it receives materials from. It does not replace statutory or regulatory requirements but instead drives consistency in their application, reducing confusion for end markets and minimizing the cost and effort to ensure responsibility across all states.

The REM Standard is being developed with the support of SCS Standards and Assurance Systems (SCS). SCS is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standard Developer, and they ensure the process follows the established ANSI guidelines for open, consensus-driven engagement. A Standard Development Committee comprised of interest holders from state regulatory agencies, industry associations, NGOs and academia provides consistent feedback and deliberation of the standard requirements. SCS guides the committee discussion sessions and reviews their comments to provide clear direction on the standard text. SCS also leads the public comment process and reviews comments submitted through CAA’s survey.

The committee provides technical and policy input by reviewing draft proposals, public feedback and pilot audit results. Participation does not constitute endorsement.

Interest holders involved in or supporting recycling markets downstream of collection and sorting are encouraged to provide feedback.

No. Individual submissions will not be published. Comments will be anonymized and summarized.