Building an EPR Compliance Framework with QDOBA

The Situation

QDOBA Mexican Eats engaged Anthesis to support its compliance with emerging packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws in the United States.

With new state regulations coming online – starting with Colorado and California – QDOBA sought a partner to help build a scalable, future-ready compliance framework.

The company needed help reviewing packaging data, identifying gaps, and preparing reports that could be submitted through Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), while also developing an internal process for managing compliance across its franchise and corporate operations.

Solutions

Impact

QDOBA was able to meet EPR reporting requirements in 2025, and is expanding its relationship with Anthesis into a managed service for 2026–2027.

Company: QDOBA Mexican Eats
Sector: Food & Beverage

Our Solutions

Anthesis led a phased engagement, beginning in 2025, with a focus on preparing and submitting EPR reports for Colorado and California.

We cleaned and categorized QDOBA’s packaging and sales data, mapped materials to state-specific reporting categories, and produced pro-forma reports using official templates.

Where data gaps existed, Anthesis worked with QDOBA and its suppliers to gather or proxy missing information, while ensuring alignment with Colorado and California requirements.

Explore our EPR Services

Anthesis’ support made this process so much easier. It was incredibly helpful to have a knowledgeable team to bounce ideas off of and talk things through – especially since others on my internal team aren’t as closely involved in the EPR process. I really appreciated having Anthesis there every step of the way.

Allie Evans, Sr. Category Manager – Sourcing and Sustainability

Impacts of the Project

Meeting Requirements

QDOBA was able to meet EPR reporting requirements in Colorado and California on time, with defensible, accurate reports.

Greater Clarity

Our methodology enabled QDOBA to align packaging data across internal systems, enhance visibility into supplier data, and better understand its fee exposure across states.

Managed Service

Our engagement with QDOBA is expanding into a managed service for 2026–2027, with Anthesis filing on behalf of QDOBA in additional states and providing regular strategic updates, fee breakdowns by franchise sales, and ongoing regulatory advisory support.

Explore our EPR Services

Anthesis is strategically positioned in key global markets across the value chain to meet the specific needs of multiple industries.

Extended Producer Responsibility

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