PFAS Food Packaging Compliance Calendar 2026: Every Deadline You Need to Know

Overview

PFAS food packaging bans are rolling out across the United States and internationally. With more than a dozen US states, Australia, and the European Union enacting restrictions, keeping track of every effective date is a challenge — especially for food businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions.

This compliance calendar consolidates every key PFAS food packaging deadline in one place, so you can plan ahead, prioritize supplier transitions, and avoid penalties. For a deeper look at the regulations themselves, see the complete guide to PFAS food packaging bans.

2026 Compliance Timeline

The timeline below shows every PFAS food packaging regulation deadline currently tracked by PFAS Packaging Check, organized by enforcement status and sorted chronologically. As of February 2026, this covers 22 jurisdictions.

What’s Already in Effect

The following jurisdictions have PFAS food packaging restrictions that are currently enforceable. Businesses operating in these states must already be in compliance — penalties may apply for violations.

• New York (Dec 31, 2022) — Ban on PFAS in plant-based food packaging.
• California (Jan 1, 2023) — Ban on PFAS in plant fiber-based food packaging above 100 ppm TOF.
• Washington (Feb 1, 2023; May 1, 2024) — Phase 1: Ban on PFAS in wraps, liners, plates, food boats, and pizza boxes.
• Vermont (Jul 1, 2023; Jan 1, 2026) — Ban on PFAS in ALL food packaging including food service gloves.
• Connecticut (Dec 31, 2023) — Ban on PFAS in ALL food packaging.
• Colorado (Jan 1, 2024) — Ban on PFAS in plant-fiber food packaging.
• Maryland (Jan 1, 2024) — Ban on PFAS in plant-fiber food packaging and food service gloves.
• Minnesota (Jan 1, 2024) — Ban on PFAS in ALL food packaging — covers end users.
• Hawaii (Dec 31, 2024) — Ban on PFAS in specified plant-fiber food packaging types.
• Oregon (Jan 1, 2025) — Ban on PFAS in ALL foodware containers.
• Rhode Island (Jan 1, 2025) — Ban on PFAS in ALL food packaging.
• Australia (Jul 1, 2025) — PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS banned from import/manufacture under IChEMS.

For a detailed comparison of penalties across these states, see the penalty comparison guide.

What’s Coming Next

Several additional jurisdictions have signed PFAS food packaging restrictions into law but have effective dates in the near future. Businesses in these states have a window to prepare — but that window is narrowing.

• Illinois (effective Jan 1, 2026) — Ban on PFAS in ALL food packaging.
• Maine (effective May 25, 2026; Jan 1, 2032) — Phase 1: Ban on PFAS in plant-fiber food packaging.
• European Union (effective Aug 12, 2026) — PPWR: 3-tier PFAS limits for food contact packaging.
• New Hampshire (effective Jan 1, 2027) — Ban on PFAS in all food packaging.
• New Mexico (effective Jan 1, 2027) — Ban on PFAS in all food packaging.
• New Jersey (effective Jan 12, 2028) — Ban on PFAS in fiber-based food packaging.

Businesses in these states may want to begin evaluating PFAS-free packaging alternatives and requesting supplier documentation now, rather than waiting until the effective date.

International Deadlines

PFAS food packaging regulation is not limited to the United States. Two major international jurisdictions have enacted their own restrictions, which matter for food businesses that export, import, or operate internationally.

Proposed Legislation to Watch

• Iowa (IA HF 588 (91st General Assembly, 2025-2027)) — Proposed ban on PFAS in all food packaging (if enacted). Proposed legislation. Not yet enacted. Would ban PFAS in food packaging effective January 1, 2026.
• Ohio (OH HB 272 — PURE LIFE Act (136th General Assembly, 2025-2026)) — Proposed ban on PFAS in food packaging, cookware, dental floss, and juvenile products (if enacted). Proposed legislation. Not yet enacted. Would ban PFAS in food packaging, cookware, dental floss, and juvenile products beginning 2027.
• Massachusetts (MA H 2450 / S 1588 (194th General Court, 2025-2026)) — S 1588 proposed effective date for chemicals-in-food-packaging ban (if enacted). Proposed legislation. Not yet enacted. Two bills in committee: H 2450 (PFAS-specific, effective 2030) and S 1588 (broader chemicals-in-packaging, effective 2027).
• North Carolina (NC H 881 / H 882 (2025-2026 Session)) — H 881 (PFAS Free NC) proposed effective date for broad PFAS ban (if enacted). Proposed legislation. Not yet enacted. H 881 is a broad PFAS ban; H 882 uses EPR approach for packaging.

Additional bills in early legislative stages:

How to Stay Ahead

Regulatory deadlines are only useful if you act on them. Here are practical steps many food businesses are taking to stay ahead of the compliance curve:

• Use the compliance checker regularly. Run your packaging through the free PFAS regulation checker whenever you change suppliers, add new packaging types, or expand into a new state. Regulations are updated as new laws take effect.
• Set up regulatory alerts. PFAS Packaging Check offers alert subscriptions that notify you when regulations change in your states. New bans, amended effective dates, and enforcement actions are tracked so you do not have to monitor legislative calendars yourself.
• Build supplier documentation now. Request Certificates of Compliance (CoC) or Certificates of Analysis (CoA) from every packaging supplier. Maintaining a paper trail demonstrates good faith and can reduce penalty exposure in some jurisdictions. See the supplier documentation template for a starting point.
• Review the full compliance guide. This calendar focuses on deadlines. For a deeper look at scope, penalties, who is liable, and how each state's law differs, read the complete guide to PFAS food packaging bans (2026).