US Packaging Regulations That Are Important to Consider for Your Product Packaging

To thrive in the US market, it’s important for brands to comply with US packaging regulations to make their product packaging objection free. The United States enforces different rules and acts such as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) that include the compulsory provision of exhibiting the weight and count of the products on packaging. It leads to developing a robust relationship between producer and buyer based on fairness and trust. 

Read our blog to get an overview of packaging regulations that are important to consider for creating effective product packaging.

Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA)

FPLA was passed in 1966 and came into effect the next year. According to this law, it’s prohibited to print misleading product detail on the packaging. The law is related to consumers’ protection in a way that gives them the opportunity to compare the prices and accurate product descriptions of the same product from different brands. The concerned authorities who work on the implementation of FPLA include FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). 

Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA)

PPPA was passed by President Richard Nixon in 1970 whose primary concern was the safety of children from ingestion of harmful chemicals. For all pharmaceutical industries, it’s significant to employ child-resistant packaging that is difficult to open because of tricky opening mechanisms. According to Federal Hazardous Substance Act, section 201 include cosmetic, drug, and substance used as fuel in the hazardous category. 

Uniform Packaging & Labeling Regulation (UPLR) 

Uniform Packaging & Labeling Regulation (UPLR) was passed in 1952 during the 37 National Conference on Weights and Measures. That is adopted in 45 states out of 50 states of the United States. According to this regulation, it’s necessary to specify the identity of the product, the name of the brand or manufacturer, and the net quantity in metric units included in the packaging.  

Sustainability Regulations 

Regarding sustainable packaging regulation, different laws are introduced at the federal and state level. The federal jurisdiction covers three main categories as food, drugs, & cosmetics, and enacting rules for promoting the usage of recycled products and packaging. The major rule that empowers the FDA to ensure and evaluate the environmental impact of packaging is National Environmental Policy Act. 

California Plastic Waste & Labeling Bills 

California enacts the law to reduce the amount of single-use non-recyclable plastic packaging and put the responsibility on the manufacturer to find alternatives to such material. To reduce waste, the law targets the producers who mislabeled their products or single-used packaging. On the other hand, it also equips the consumer to ask about the recyclability of packaging material.

California Safer Food Packaging Act 

The California Safer Food Packaging and Cookware Act restrict the use of such paper-based food packaging that includes Polyfluoroalkyl substances. The chemical impact on the functioning of the normal immune system leads to various diseases related to liver, kidney, lipid, and insulin dysregulation. 

Conclusion 

It’s important to align your product packaging to US packaging regulations so that you could contribute to the various causes and sell your product easily. The major role of the laws is to create a fair market where consumers get the better product by comparing it with other brands. On the other hand, you need to use sustainable packaging that is easy to recycle rather than using single-use product packaging.