What changed
Circular Action Alliance published Oregon's 2027 fee schedule on October 1, 2026. The headline is the reserve return: CAA says it is returning about $80 million of program reserves to producers through reduced rates, plus about $3 million of previously collected fees. Of the 60 categories in both years' schedules, 58 fell, 28 of them by half or more. Transport corrugated stayed at 0¢, and small-format plastic rose from 28¢ to 78¢ (2026 schedule, page 2; 2027 schedule, page 3). PE and PP caps and lids small enough to count as small format get a new row of their own, at 41¢ (2027 schedule, page 3).1,2
| Material | 2026 per lb | 2027 per lb |
|---|---|---|
| PE film | 43¢ | 12¢ |
| PP film, laminates and other flexible packaging | 102¢ | 56¢ |
| Clear PET bottles | 25¢ | 19¢ |
| PET thermoforms | 57¢ | 29¢ |
| Corrugated cardboard | 8¢ | 2¢ |
| Paperboard | 8¢ | 5¢ |
| Glass bottles and jars | 10¢ | 0¢ |
| Aluminum containers | 6¢ | −9¢ |
| Natural HDPE bottles | 9¢ | −4¢ |
Selected categories from CAA's 2026 and 2027 schedules. A negative rate is a credit. Natural HDPE bottles are a credit because the reserve return is larger than their 11¢ base rate. Aluminum containers' base rate is already a credit, −3¢, and the reserve return adds to it (2027 schedule, pages 2 and 3).1,2
Two other details from the schedule. Producers supplying 10 metric tons or less can opt into flat dues of $700 to $3,100 instead of per-category fees. And 2027 fees are invoiced in two halves, in January and July.2
What it means for a mid-size brand
For most packaging, your 2027 Oregon bill will be well below 2026's. A brand whose packaging is mostly PE film and corrugated could see its Oregon fee fall by nearly three quarters: PE film is down 72% and corrugated 75%. One that relies on laminated pouches would see a smaller drop, closer to half, because laminate rates fell less. Small-format plastic items, such as small caps, are the exception: their rate rose. The relative pattern is unchanged: flexible plastic still costs several times what fiber does, so the levers that reduce fees in 2026 reduce them in 2027 too.
The thing not to do is treat 2027 as the new normal. About three quarters of the drop comes from the reserve return and about a quarter from lower base rates, which fell in 36 of the 60 categories (2026 schedule, pages 1 and 2; 2027 schedule, pages 1 to 3). CAA's 2027 schedule doesn't say whether reserves will be returned again in 2028 (2027 schedule, pages 1 and 2). Without a return, rates would be closer to 2027's base rates: for PE film, 29¢ rather than the published 12¢ (2027 schedule, page 3). So budget 2028 at 2027 base rates, not at the published 2027 rates.1,2
Corrected October 11, 2026. The first version of this note said every rate fell, but small-format plastic rose. We also corrected the drop for a brand using mostly PE film and corrugated, from about two thirds to nearly three quarters. It said the drop came from returning reserves and not from lower program costs, and advised budgeting 2028 closer to the 2026 level. About a quarter of the drop comes from lower base rates, so we now suggest budgeting 2028 at 2027 base rates. And it said every credit comes from the reserve return; aluminum containers' base rate is already a credit.
We've updated the Oregon guide to reflect this.
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Sources
- Circular Action Alliance, Oregon 2026 fee schedule (published Oct. 29, 2025). circularactionalliance.org
- Circular Action Alliance, Oregon 2027 Fee Schedule (Oct. 1, 2026). circularactionalliance.org
General information, not legal advice. This note summarizes a public document as we read it on the date above. Check the source before you act on it.