Last Updated on April 1, 2023
If you are going to buy a product, would you just like the packaging, or what’s contained within the bundle? Not sure about you nonetheless after I buy a bag of chips – I would really like the chips, not the plastic bag.
So why will we pay for packaging, pay to get rid of it, after which if/when it winds up in our environment, pay with our tax {{dollars}} to wash it up?
This submit was sponsored by The Pure Sources Council of Maine. All concepts and opinions are my very personal. For additional data, please see my disclosure protection.
Luckily, we’re in a position to restore this with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). A major inside the nation laws 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 stuff you may need to find out about EPR and the way in which enacting this laws will assist the ambiance.
what does epr indicate?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental protection technique throughout which a producer’s accountability for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle.
Proper right here’s how the EPR laws works in Maine:
- Producers of merchandise pays proper right into a fund based mostly totally on the amount and the recyclability of packaging associated to their merchandise.
- These funds will most likely be used to reimburse municipalities for eligible recycling and waste administration costs, make investments in recycling infrastructure, and help Maine residents understand the way in which to recycle.
Whereas this laws would not limit a producer’s packaging selections, it does shift the worth of managing packaging waste from municipalities and residents onto the producers. This places a fee on producers based mostly totally on their packaging choices.
Funds by producers will most likely be based mostly totally on:
This will likely current incentives for producers to determine on additional readily recyclable packaging and as well as use a lot much less packaging.
why does extended producer accountability matter?
Our recycling methods are being overwhelmed by wasteful packaging and plastic air air pollution which 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 affect.
Plastic recycling costs have dropped from 9% to 5% in latest occasions. Whereas 9% wasn’t a extreme value to start out with, it’s clear through this drop we’re not getting increased at recycling. We’re getting worse.
Recycling has always been a flawed system. Nonetheless, there are solutions in place which will help us reduce waste and assure our devices have the subsequent chance of getting recycled.
EPR for packaging is a confirmed decision working everywhere in the world for lowering packaging waste. It’ll improve recycling costs worldwide (over 40 jurisdictions like Germany, Brazil, Spain, Iceland, and additional!)
The authorized tips moreover save taxpayer money and provide help to cash-strapped cities. They do this by requiring large corporations and producers to help pay for the worth of recycling their wasteful packaging, a number of it plastic.
This moreover encourages large corporations to design increased 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 laws in 2021! At current, Oregon, Colorado, and California have joined the event, and plenty 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 devices, batteries and accumulators, electrical and digital instruments.
Proper right here’s some stats on how the EPR laws helps reduce waste and save taxpayers money:
- 25 EU Member States have carried out EPR in nationwide packaging waste insurance coverage insurance policies
- €3.1 billion of estimated annual costs 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 laws is working to cut back packaging waste, and enhance recyclability of merchandise. That means the equivalent 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 maneuver epr authorized tips similar to the one in Maine.
The Pure Sources Council of Maine, has created a bunch of property along with a toolkit to help completely different states advance this environment friendly decision for addressing wasteful packaging and plastic air air pollution!
Ensure you attempt 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 received:
- Lead organizers: These people convey and maintain allies collectively, are an data and messaging hub, and maintain key avid gamers up to date and on exercise.
- Champion lawmakers: These are the representatives who it’s possible you’ll be working with to maneuver the laws regionally, so get to know them and present to them.
- A varied stakeholder coalition: Coalitions are momentary alliances of stakeholders throughout which they share risks, costs, benefits and duties of a problem or implementation. Coalitions create useful choices and stimulate and facilitate information sharing.
- Deliberate messaging & media approach: It’s worthwhile to make clear points through data, graphics, lists and maps all through the board clearly, concisely and cohesively.
All of these key avid gamers and methods carried out a process in Maine effectively passing the first EPR laws of the nation. Let’s get completely different states to watch of their footsteps!
Which state do you want to see transfer an Extended Producer Responsibility laws subsequent? Inform us inside the suggestions!