Ultimate Updated on April 1, 2023

Whilst you buy a product, would you just like the packaging, or what’s contained within the bundle? Not sure about you nonetheless as soon as I buy a bag of chips – I want the chips, not the plastic bag.

So why can we pay for packaging, pay to cast off it, after which if/when it winds up in our environment, pay with our tax {{dollars}} to scrub it up?

This publish was sponsored by The Pure Sources Council of Maine. All concepts and opinions are my very personal. For additional knowledge, please see my disclosure protection.

Luckily, we’re in a position to restore this with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). A major inside the nation regulation was handed in Maine, the state I not too way back moved to.

Nevertheless what exactly is EPR and why does it matter? Proper right here’s all of the items it is important study EPR and the best way enacting this regulation can also assist the environment.

what does epr suggest?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental protection technique throughout which a producer’s obligation for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle.

Proper right here’s how the EPR regulation works in Maine:

• Producers of merchandise pays proper right into a fund primarily based totally on the amount and the recyclability of packaging associated to their merchandise.
• These funds may be used to reimburse municipalities for eligible recycling and waste administration costs, make investments in recycling infrastructure, and help Maine residents understand simple strategies to recycle.

Whereas this regulation does not limit a producer’s packaging decisions, it does shift the value of managing packaging waste from municipalities and residents onto the producers. This areas a cost on producers primarily based totally on their packaging alternatives.

Funds by producers may be primarily based totally on:

This will current incentives for producers to determine on additional readily recyclable packaging and likewise use a lot much less packaging.

why does extended producer obligation matter?

Our recycling methods are being overwhelmed by wasteful packaging and plastic air air pollution that will’t be recycled. It’s inflicting essential points.

In 2017, China stopped accepting our recycling. Since then, Western nations have been puzzling over what to do when the ban went into impression.

Plastic recycling prices have dropped from 9% to 5% recently. Whereas 9% wasn’t a extreme value to begin with, it’s clear by this drop we’re not getting greater at recycling. We’re getting worse.

Recycling has always been a flawed system. Nonetheless, there are solutions in place that will help us reduce waste and assure our objects have a greater likelihood of getting recycled.

EPR for packaging is a confirmed reply working across the globe for reducing packaging waste. It can enhance recycling prices worldwide (over 40 jurisdictions like Germany, Brazil, Spain, Iceland, and further!)

The authorized tips moreover save taxpayer money and provide help to cash-strapped cities. They do this by requiring large companies and producers to help pay for the value of recycling their wasteful packaging, a whole lot of it plastic.

This moreover encourages large companies to design greater packaging that has a lot much less waste and may actually be recycled.

the place have epr authorized tips been enacted?

Maine handed the nation’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging regulation in 2021! Presently, Oregon, Colorado, and California have joined the social gathering, and loads of additional states are considering associated insurance coverage insurance policies.

how have epr authorized tips affected europe?

In Europe, EPR has an EU-wide mandate for varied merchandise. This comprises packaging, single-use plastic objects, batteries and accumulators, electrical and digital gear.

Proper right here’s some stats on how the EPR regulation helps reduce waste and save taxpayers money:

• 25 EU Member States have utilized EPR in nationwide packaging waste insurance coverage insurance policies
• €3.1 billion of estimated annual prices paid by producers to {{industry}} and non-industry owned packaging EPR schemes in Europe.
• 47% Packaging recycling value inside the EU-15 in 1998. 65% packaging recycling value inside the EU-27 in 2012.

Clearly, the EPR regulation is working to reduce packaging waste, and enhance recyclability of merchandise. Which means the similar authorized tips could also be utilized proper right here effectively inside the US.

how can I help enact epr authorized tips in my state?

You’ll help encourage your state to cross epr authorized tips identical to the one in Maine.

The Pure Sources Council of Mainehas created a bunch of belongings along with a toolkit to help totally different states advance this environment friendly reply for addressing wasteful packaging and plastic air air pollution!

You need to positively check out their EPR for Packaging Advocacy Sources. You’ll uncover tutorial presentation samples, informational handouts, sample sign on letters, petitions, and lots additional.

To get started, The Pure Sources Council of Maine recommends you have:

• Lead organizers: These people carry and keep allies collectively, are an knowledge and messaging hub, and keep key players up to date and on job.
• Champion lawmakers: These are the representatives who you may be working with to cross the regulation domestically, so get to know them and present to them.
• A varied stakeholder coalition: Coalitions are non everlasting alliances of stakeholders throughout which they share risks, costs, benefits and obligations of a enterprise or implementation. Coalitions create treasured choices and stimulate and facilitate knowledge sharing.
• Deliberate messaging & media approach: You need to make clear points by particulars, graphics, lists and maps all through the board clearly, concisely and cohesively.

All of these key players and strategies carried out a process in Maine effectively passing the first EPR regulation of the nation. Let’s get totally different states to adjust to of their footsteps!

Which state do you want to see cross an Extended Producer Responsibility regulation subsequent? Inform us inside the suggestions!