Music City Labs / Packtally
Packtally
Packaging EPR reports, built from your Shopify orders
Packtally tells a Shopify brand which US states it owes packaging reports to, counts the packaging it shipped into each one from real orders, and builds a checked filing pack for the state portal.
In development for the 2027 reporting season
What Packtally does
A growing list of US states makes brands report the packaging they ship into the state each year and pay fees on it. Packtally does the counting from the orders you already have.
-
Tells you where you owe
A free check reads a full year of orders and marks every state: action required, monitoring, exempt, exemption must be filed, or no program, with the reason in one sentence.
-
Builds your packaging library
Every box, mailer, jar and label you ship, with its material and weight, and a note on where each weight came from: measured, supplier spec, invoice or estimate.
-
Counts pounds by state
Packaging is matched to each product and shipping rule, then counted by the ship-to state of every order you fulfilled, so the numbers come from real shipments.
-
Compares the fees
A fee estimate for each state, and a side-by-side of the flat fee against paying by the pound where a state offers both.
-
Checks before you file
A to-do list of every gap, blocking ones first: products with no packaging, unconfirmed estimates, the wrong data year. Each one links straight to the fix.
-
Hands you the filing pack
An entry sheet in the portal's screen order, the files to upload, your method written out, and a locked record of exactly how every number was made.
Packtally only reads your store. It never changes products, orders or your theme, and it never stores customer names, emails, phone numbers or street addresses, only the state and country each order shipped to.
The packaging EPR states at a glance
Six states run their programs through one organization, Circular Action Alliance, with annual reports due May 31. Reports on 2025 data were due May 31, 2026, and the next cycle is expected on the same date in 2027. The short version of who is covered:
| State | Usually exempt if | Who counts the shipping box | Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Global revenue under $5 million, or under 1 metric ton of packaging into Oregon | Whoever packs the order | Fees now; a flat fee option for low volumes. Small producers claim their exemption in a yearly window |
| Colorado | Global revenue under $5,779,297, or under 1 ton into Colorado | Whoever packs the order | Dues now; flat dues for low volumes |
| California | Under $1 million of California sales, and only once the exemption application is approved | The brand owner, even when a 3PL packs | Fees on reported packaging, with extra charges on plastic |
| Washington | Under $5 million, or under 1 ton | Whoever packs the order | Simplified report for now; fees to follow |
| Minnesota and Maryland | Under $2 million, or under 1 ton | Whoever packs the order | Simplified report for now; fees later |
| Maine | Has a law, run separately from the other six; reporting is still being set up | ||
Our reading of each state's rules as of October 2026, for orientation only and not legal advice. Thresholds and fees change; Packtally cites the rule behind every answer it gives you. More detail in Do I have to report packaging EPR?
Plans
Planned pricing for the 2027 season, billed through Shopify. Paid plans come with a 14-day trial.
-
Exposure Check
Free
- Status for every state from your real orders
- Why each state applies, with the threshold and its source
- Calendar of deadlines
-
Exempt
$190 a year, or $19 a month
- Proof of why you're exempt in each state
- California exemption evidence and renewal reminder
- Monthly alerts before you cross a line
-
Report
$990 a year, or $129 a month
- Full reports for every portal state, one company
- Packaging library, checks, method and filing pack
- Flat fee comparison, locked records, one prior year
-
Pro
$2,490 a year, or $299 a month
- Several companies and brands
- Two prior years and California plastic tracking
- Invoice matching and priority support
Founding brands get half off the first year and their price locked for two years, in exchange for feedback and a short case study.
Questions brands ask
What is packaging EPR?
Extended producer responsibility for packaging. State laws make the brands whose products are sold into the state report how much packaging they supplied there each year, by material, and pay fees that fund recycling programs.
Does my Shopify store have to report packaging EPR?
It depends on your revenue and how much packaging you ship into each state. Many small brands are exempt, but not automatically: California's small producer exemption has to be applied for and kept up to date, and Oregon has a yearly window to claim its exemption. Packtally's free check answers it state by state from your own orders.
When are packaging EPR reports due?
The six programs run through Circular Action Alliance share a May 31 reporting date. Reports on 2025 data were due May 31, 2026 (California allowed June 1 because the 31st fell on a Sunday), and reports on 2026 data are expected by May 31, 2027. See the deadline guide.
If a 3PL packs my orders, who reports the shipping box?
In most states, whoever packs the order owns the shipping box. California is the exception: the brand owner reports it even when a 3PL does the packing.
How do I work out how much packaging I shipped into each state?
By hand, it takes three steps:
- Export a year of fulfilled orders with the ship-to state.
- Weigh or look up every packaging part: the product's own packaging plus the box or mailer, tissue, fill and tape.
- Multiply units shipped by packaging weight, sorted by material, for each state.
Packtally does the same math from your Shopify orders and keeps the proof for every weight.
Is the flat fee cheaper than reporting by the pound?
Not always. Oregon and Colorado offer a flat option for low volumes, and it often costs more than paying by the pound. Packtally shows both for your numbers.
Does Packtally file the report for me?
No. Only the brand's own representative can submit and sign off in the portal. Packtally prepares a checked filing pack so entering it takes minutes, and it doesn't give legal advice.
Packaging EPR guides
Plain-English explanations of the rules, the deadlines and the math.
- What is packaging EPR? A plain-English guide for Shopify brandsWhat extended producer responsibility for packaging means, which states have it, and what it asks of an online brand.
- Do I have to report packaging EPR? State thresholds explainedThe revenue and tonnage lines in each state, and the exemptions you have to claim instead of assume.
- Packaging EPR deadlines: the 2026 cycle and what to expect in 2027The shared May 31 reporting date, what was due in 2026, and how to plan for the 2027 cycle.
- California's SB 54 small producer exemption: who qualifies and how to claim itUnder $1 million in California sales? The exemption isn't automatic. Here's how to apply and keep it.
- How to calculate packaging weight by state for EPR reportsThe step-by-step method, from a packaging list to pounds by material and state, plus the 3PL question.
- Oregon packaging EPR: what Shopify brands need to knowOregon's program, the exemption claim window, and how reporting through Circular Action Alliance works.
- California SB 54 packaging EPR: a guide for Shopify brandsWho SB 54 covers, the registration and reports it requires, the exemption and the 2032 recyclability rule.
- Colorado packaging EPR: what Shopify brands need to knowColorado's small producer thresholds, annual reporting through Circular Action Alliance, and dues.
- Washington, Minnesota and Maryland packaging EPR: the simplified reportsWhat the three newer programs ask for now, the small producer lines, and what comes next.
Talk to us
Questions about your state obligations, or want to be a founding brand? Write to Packtally directly.
packtally@musiccitylabs.coPacktally publishes its privacy policy and terms before it opens to stores.