From Two Reporting Channels to One: How MegaFood Simplified Its EPR Data Ahead of the May Deadline

Consolidating vendors is rarely the headline result a brand expects from an EPR compliance project. Usually the goal is narrower: get the filing done, on time, in every state that requires it. But for one vitamin, mineral, and supplement (VMS) brand, improving EPR compliance unlocked broader reporting improvements and provided direct visibility into data.

MegaFood had been reporting packaging data through two separate channels. The EPR deadline was the forcing function, but fragmentation posed a real problem. Here's how MegaFood got both under control at once, ahead of its May filing.

The Challenge: Two Channels, One Deadline

"We were previously reporting packaging data through two separate channels and reporting slightly different information," said Kripa, Sustainability Implementation Manager at MegaFood. This meant different versions of the same packaging data.

Leaving that fragmentation in place had a time cost associated with it. Consolidating and simplifying packaging data reporting, and getting more functionality out of the platform, mattered to MegaFood as much as the EPR filing itself.

The Search for a Partner: An Easy Choice

For a lot of brands, choosing an EPR partner means evaluating unfamiliar vendors from scratch. MegaFood didn't have to.

"We were already working with rePurpose for plastic neutral certification and so it was an easy decision to move EPR to the same platform," Kripa said.  MegaFood had    been introduced to the newer platform through the previous year's plastic data. Bringing EPR onto the same platform was a natural extension to an already working relationship.

The Concern Going In

One question sat ahead of everything else for MegaFood: would there be enough runway to make the May deadline in less than two months.

"I was most concerned about the transition of data to set up for EPR reporting and whether we would be complete in time for the May filing date," Kripa said.

That's a specific, time-bound risk, not a vague worry about switching platforms. Any data migration ahead of a hard deadline raises the same question: is there enough time to get it right before the clock runs out.

Implementation: Seamless

The transition MegaFood was worried about turned out to be the easiest part of the engagement. "Implementation was seamless and the transition was completed within two months. Sarah and Faith were incredibly responsive, helpful, and knowledgeable," Kripa said. The initial concern about meeting the deadline didn't materialize and rePurpose made it easy to meet the compliance date.

The Difference: From Multiple Parties to One Platform

Asked to compare the experience before and after, Kripa didn't describe a minor improvement. She described two different ways of working entirely.

“Shifting to rePurpose not only streamlined our reporting but also offered us a more transparent platform with clear visibility into our data along with access to the packaging simulator to help research the impact of packaging changes.” In her words: "The rePurpose experience has been very streamlined and cohesive."

The Impact: Time Saved Going Forward

Some results show up immediately. Others compound over each reporting cycle, and MegaFood's is the second kind. "I anticipate that we will be able to save time with the rePurpose platform as we continue to report," Kripa said. The near-term win was consolidation itself, two channels down to one, on time for May. The ongoing win is what happens every cycle after: one report, one platform to check, one source of data. 

Asked for an overall take on the partnership, Kripa was direct: "Working with rePurpose has been a rewarding experience. The level of customer service has been unparalleled with speedy and comprehensive responses to our questions, and a willingness to walk us through each step of the process to ensure accuracy of reporting. The support team is very knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to help answer our questions."

Key Takeaways for Multi-Channel Reporters

MegaFood's experience holds a few lessons for any brand still splitting packaging data across more than one system:

Fragmentation costs time even without a deadline attached. Multiple channels capturing slightly different information means more chances for the numbers to disagree with each other, and time spent reconciling them is time that could go toward anything else.

An existing relationship is a legitimate shortcut, not a shortcut around diligence. MegaFood didn't have to vet a stranger. Choosing a partner already trusted with plastic neutral certification meant the EPR decision came with a track record attached.

Deadline anxiety about a data migration is worth naming, then worth checking against how the migration actually goes. MegaFood's biggest worry going in wasn't whether rePurpose could do the work, it was whether the data transition would finish before the May deadline. That's a fair question to put to any partner up front, and a specific one: not "can you handle this" but "will this be done by the date I actually need it."

Consolidation keeps paying off after the first cycle. The time saved from checking a single platform repeats every reporting season that follows.

Reporting packaging data through more channels than you'd like? Learn more about rePurpose's EPR solutions or talk to a Compliance Specialist. No cost. No obligation.

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