Why one product catalog can be treated differently in each state
It is natural to expect that a product reported in one state can be reported the same way in another. In practice, the same SKU can produce different results across programs for several reasons:
- Producer definitions differ. Each law has its own hierarchy. A licensed brand or an imported product may be your obligation in one state and someone else's in another.
- Scope differs. Washington focuses on residential packaging and paper. California's SB 54 covers single-use packaging and plastic single-use food service ware. Oregon includes food serviceware. Business-to-business exclusions vary.
- Exemptions differ. Revenue and tonnage thresholds are not uniform, and some states phase thresholds in over time.
- Material categories differ. Each program groups materials its own way. A multi-layer pouch or a plastic-coated paperboard carton may map to different categories.
- Fees differ. Rates and eco-modulation rules are set per program, so the same packaging carries different costs.
- Timelines differ. Data years, reporting deadlines and payment dates do not line up.
The practical answer is not to build seven separate datasets. It is to build one accurate, component-level packaging record and then apply each state's rules to it. That is the approach described in packaging data for EPR reporting, and it is how CertaRelay runs managed packaging EPR compliance.