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Per-Unit EPR Fee Calculator

Estimate the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fee for a single SKU from its packaging bill of materials. Enter each component, its format, its material, and its weight, and the calculator prices it against the selected state, shows which component is driving the cost, and compares a redesign side by side.

The Per-Unit EPR Fee Calculator is free with an EPR Atlas account, the same account every EPR Atlas tool uses.

Last updated October 25, 2026.

This calculator prices every component as covered material. It does not model exemptions, so if a component is excluded in the state you picked the estimate is too high by that component. Several exclusions are conditional or need an approved application rather than being automatic. Check the Key exemptions row on the state comparison page before you use a number.
Need total annual or portfolio-level exposure instead of per-unit? Use the Total EPR Fee Estimator.
New to this calculator? Take a 60-second guided tour of how it works.
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See the full calculator

You are previewing the Unit EPR Fee Calculator. Sign in with a free EPR Atlas account to use per-SKU fee modeling across all 7 enacted states, eco-modulation credits, and side-by-side redesign comparison.

Want a look around first? Take the 60-second guided tour
Per-Unit EPR Fee Calculator
Enter a SKU's packaging to estimate the per-unit EPR fee by state, see what's driving the cost, and compare design changes that lower the fee.
How the rates work. Pick a rate year. For 2027, Oregon and Colorado use the schedules CAA published on October 1, 2026, and California uses CAA's preliminary 2027 schedule, which is non-binding until CalRecycle approves the program plan. For 2026, Oregon and Colorado use their published 2026 schedules and California uses its 2026 Early Fee. Every category with both years is in the 2027 fee schedule deep dive. All are mapped to the format and material options below. The other four states (Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, Washington) have no published program fee schedule yet, so their figures are estimated from Oregon's 2026 rates. CAA's 2027 Washington early fees (October 1, 2026) are listed on the Washington page and are not priced here. Because programs aren't harmonized and use dozens of fine-grained categories, some real categories are collapsed into these dropdowns, and the after-credit (net) number is approximate since eco-modulation dollar caps aren't modeled. Use this for design comparisons and directional planning.
Total annual EPR fee
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For budgeting. Enter annual units to project total fee for the active design. Does not affect per-unit cost below.
Baseline
Alternative
Packaging Components - editing: Baseline
Component
Format
Material
Weight (g)
Eco-Modulation Levers - Baseline

Toggle credits that apply to this design. Each lowers the net fee. Grayed-out credits aren't confirmed for the selected state.

EPR Fee Per Unit
Base → Eco-Mod → Net (Baseline)
Design Comparison
Per unitBaselineAlternativeΔ
Δ is Alternative minus Baseline. A negative net Δ (green) is an EPR saving per unit to weigh against any material cost change in the alternative.
Fee by Component - Baseline
Per-unit fee each component contributes in the selected state. The biggest contributor is the first redesign target.
Design Recommendations - Baseline
Material Risk & Sale Restrictions

Flags components whose material faces a design-based fee penalty (malus / top-tier fee) or could be restricted from sale in the selected state. Catching these in development avoids a forced redesign and lost market access later.

I help teams prioritize the design changes that lower a SKU's fee and pay back. Ask about a plan

How the per-unit calculation works

An EPR fee is charged on the packaging placed on a state's market, so the unit of analysis is the SKU, built up from its bill of materials. For each component the calculator takes the material and the weight, applies that state's rate for the material, and sums the components into a base fee. Any eco-modulation the design qualifies for is then applied to get the net per-unit fee, which is multiplied by annual units to give annual exposure.

Per-Unit Fee = Σ (Component Weight × Material Rate) × Eco-Modulation Multiplier

Because the calculation is per component, it shows which part of the pack is generating the fee, which is where redesign pays back first. Model a change in the alternative design column to see the difference side by side.

For portfolio-level or annual exposure across many SKUs, use the Total EPR Fee Estimator instead. To check whether you are an obligated producer in the first place, start with the scope screener.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate an EPR fee per unit?
Build a packaging bill of materials for the SKU: list every component (primary container, closure, label, film, and any secondary packaging) with its material type and weight in grams. Multiply each component weight by that material's state rate, add the components together, then apply any eco-modulation adjustment the SKU qualifies for. The result is the per-unit EPR fee. The calculator on this page runs that for every component at once.
Which component usually drives the fee?
Not always the heaviest one. Fees are mass-based, so a heavy component matters, but rates rise sharply for hard-to-recycle materials, so a light multi-layer laminate, metallized film, or expanded polystyrene component can cost more than a much heavier aluminum or clear PET one. The contribution table on this page ranks components by net fee so the real driver is visible.
Is the per-unit estimate official?
No. Oregon and Colorado use their published 2026 or 2027 rates, by the rate year you pick. California uses CAA's preliminary 2027 schedule or its 2026 Early Fee, and Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington are estimated from Oregon's published rates until each state publishes a program fee schedule; the 2027 Washington early fees are listed on the Washington page and are not in the calculators. Estimates are for planning, not for compliance reporting. Confirm final figures with the Circular Action Alliance producer portal or the relevant state agency.
Why does the calculator need an account?
The per-unit calculator needs a free EPR Atlas account with your name, email, company, and title, and you stay signed in on that browser until you sign out. The same account opens every EPR Atlas tool and download, including Ask Atlas, which allows 3 questions a day per account. The state guides and the state comparison table stay free to read without an account.