Case Study: One Brand, Four Weeks, Seven Invoices

A national restaurant brand had seven EPR invoices coming. Finance knew about zero.

Fast-growing QSR chain | Franchise model | West coast footprint (CA, OR, CO)

THE PROBLEM

Without any EPR filing history, the brand lacked tonnage estimates and any financial reserves across the three active states. With California's program launching in 2027 without a published full program fee schedule to date, the team had a considerable blind spot.

Moreover, California’s Early Program Fees due in Aug 2026 and Environmental Mitigation Surcharge due in Q1 2027 both sit outside the “routine” EPR invoicing calendar.  

No accruals, reserves or payment calendar existed.

OUR IMPACT

We completed the 2024 and 2025 supply reports for California, Oregon, and Colorado within four weeks, well ahead of the May 31 deadline. Additionally, we forecasted California’s 2027 fees at the covered material level to provide the finance team with defensible estimates tied to each SKU.

Total exposure was quantified by state line item by year, with reserves set at the high end given California forecast uncertainty. Finance left the engagement with a seven-invoice payment calendar, state-level reserve estimates, and a SKU-level fee model before the first invoice arrived.