Ultimate Updated on April 1, 2023
If you buy a product, would you just like the packaging, or what’s contained within the bundle? Undecided 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 remove it, after which if/when it winds up within the atmosphere, pay with our tax {{dollars}} to clean it up?
This submit was sponsored by The Pure Property Council of Maine. All concepts and opinions are my very personal. For further information, please see my disclosure protection.
Thankfully, we’re in a position to restore this with Extended Producer Obligation (EPR). A main throughout 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 each half it is good to search out out about EPR and the way in which enacting this regulation might also assist the ambiance.
what does epr suggest?
Extended Producer Obligation (EPR) is an environmental protection technique by way of 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 regulation works in Maine:
- Producers of merchandise will pay proper right into a fund based mostly totally on the amount and the recyclability of packaging associated to their merchandise.
- These funds can be utilized to reimburse municipalities for eligible recycling and waste administration costs, make investments in recycling infrastructure, and help Maine residents understand discover ways to recycle.
Whereas this regulation would 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 based mostly totally on their packaging alternatives.
Funds by producers may be based mostly totally on:
It can current incentives for producers to resolve on further readily recyclable packaging and likewise 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 that will’t be recycled. It’s inflicting extreme 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 expenses have dropped from 9% to 5% currently. Whereas 9% wasn’t a extreme cost to start out with, it’s clear by way of this drop we’re not getting increased at recycling. We’re getting worse.
Recycling has on a regular basis been a flawed system. However, there are solutions in place that will help us reduce waste and assure our objects have a greater chance of getting recycled.
EPR for packaging is a confirmed reply working across the globe for lowering packaging waste. It can improve recycling expenses worldwide (over 40 jurisdictions like Germany, Brazil, Spain, Iceland, and further!)
The authorized pointers moreover save taxpayer money and provide assist to cash-strapped cities. They try this by requiring large firms and producers to help pay for the value of recycling their wasteful packaging, a number of it plastic.
This moreover encourages large firms to design increased packaging that has a lot much less waste and would possibly actually be recycled.
the place have epr authorized pointers been enacted?
Maine handed the nation’s first Extended Producer Obligation (EPR) for Packaging regulation in 2021! Presently, Oregon, Colorado, and California have joined the social gathering, and loads of further states are considering associated insurance coverage insurance policies.
how have epr authorized pointers affected europe?
In Europe, EPR has an EU-wide mandate for numerous merchandise. This consists of packaging, single-use plastic objects, batteries and accumulators, electrical and digital instruments.
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 expenses paid by producers to {{industry}} and non-industry owned packaging EPR schemes in Europe.
- 47% Packaging recycling cost throughout the EU-15 in 1998. 65% packaging recycling cost throughout the EU-27 in 2012.
Clearly, the EPR regulation is working to chop again packaging waste, and enhance recyclability of merchandise. Which means the similar authorized pointers can be utilized proper right here effectively throughout the US.
how can I help enact epr authorized pointers in my state?
You probably can help encourage your state to cross epr authorized pointers similar to the one in Maine.
The Pure Property Council of Mainehas created a bunch of sources along with a toolkit to help totally different states advance this environment friendly reply for addressing wasteful packaging and plastic air air pollution!
Ensure you attempt their EPR for Packaging Advocacy Property. You’ll uncover educational presentation samples, informational handouts, sample sign on letters, petitions, and so much further.
To get started, The Pure Property Council of Maine recommends you’ve got:
- Lead organizers: These people carry and keep allies collectively, are an information and messaging hub, and keep key players up to date and on job.
- Champion lawmakers: These are the representatives who you might be working with to cross the regulation regionally, so get to know them and present to them.
- A numerous stakeholder coalition: Coalitions are momentary alliances of stakeholders by way of which they share risks, costs, benefits and duties of a problem or implementation. Coalitions create worthwhile choices and stimulate and facilitate data sharing.
- Deliberate messaging & media method: You must make clear points by way of particulars, graphics, lists and maps all through the board clearly, concisely and cohesively.
All of these key players and methods carried out a activity in Maine effectively passing the first EPR regulation of the nation. Let’s get totally different states to watch of their footsteps!
Which state do you want to see cross an Extended Producer Obligation regulation subsequent? Inform us throughout the suggestions!