The action alert initiated by PRINTING United Alliance in opposition to the New York State Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act, that would have established an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program, was very successful. The bill died in the legislative session due to significant pressure by impacted entities, including members of the Alliance.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is making available up to $80 million in grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms (SMMs)The grants are designed to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency recommendations made by DOE that will lower costs and reduce industrial emissions.

At the end of May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a memorandum stating that lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries should be classified and managed as hazardous waste. The May 24, 2023, memo states that under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Li-Ion batteries generally qualify as hazardous waste at end of life.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed sweeping legislation on May 24, 2023, that introduces many changes to Minnesota’s employment laws. The various provisions of the new, sweeping legislation “Omnibus Jobs Bill SF 3035” (Omnibus Bill) will take effect at different times from July 1, 2023, through January 1, 2024.

On May 23, 2023, PRINTING United Alliance attended a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) workshop on updates to the Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, otherwise known as the Green Guides. The Green Guides help marketers avoid making environmental marketing claims that are unfair or deceptive under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act. The Green Guides were first issued in 1992 and were revised in 1996, 1998, and 2012.