Final Up to date on April 1, 2023

If you purchase a product, would you like the packaging, or what’s contained in the package deal? Undecided about you however once I purchase a bag of chips – I would like the chips, not the plastic bag. 

So why will we pay for packaging, pay to eliminate it, after which if/when it winds up in our surroundings, pay with our tax {dollars} to wash it up? 

This publish was sponsored by The Pure Sources Council of Maine. All ideas and opinions are my very own. For extra data, please see my disclosure coverage. 

Fortunately, we are able to repair this with Prolonged Producer Duty (EPR). A primary within the nation legislation was handed in Maine, the state I lately moved to.  

However what precisely is EPR and why does it matter? Right here’s the whole lot you want to learn about EPR and the way enacting this legislation can assist the setting. 

what does epr imply? 

Prolonged Producer Duty (EPR) is an environmental coverage method wherein a producer’s accountability for a product is prolonged to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. 

Right here’s how the EPR legislation works in Maine: 

• Producers of merchandise can pay right into a fund primarily based on the quantity and the recyclability of packaging related to their merchandise. 
• These funds can be used to reimburse municipalities for eligible recycling and waste administration prices, make investments in recycling infrastructure, and assist Maine residents perceive easy methods to recycle. 

Whereas this legislation doesn’t restrict a producer’s packaging choices, it does shift the price of managing packaging waste from municipalities and residents onto the producers. This locations a charge on producers primarily based on their packaging selections. 

Funds by producers can be primarily based on:  

This may present incentives for producers to decide on extra readily recyclable packaging and likewise use much less packaging.  

why does prolonged producer accountability matter? 

Our recycling programs are being overwhelmed by wasteful packaging and plastic air pollution that may’t be recycled. It’s inflicting severe issues.

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

Plastic recycling charges have dropped from 9% to 5% in recent times. Whereas 9% wasn’t a excessive fee to start with, it’s clear by means of this drop we’re not getting higher at recycling. We’re getting worse.

Recycling has at all times been a flawed system. Nevertheless, there are answers in place that may assist us scale back waste and guarantee our gadgets have a better probability of getting recycled. 

EPR for packaging is a confirmed resolution working around the globe for lowering packaging waste. It will increase recycling charges worldwide (over 40 jurisdictions like Germany, Brazil, Spain, Iceland, and extra!) 

The legal guidelines additionally save taxpayer cash and supply assist to cash-strapped cities. They do that by requiring huge firms and producers to assist pay for the price of recycling their wasteful packaging, a lot of it plastic. 

This additionally encourages huge firms to design higher packaging that has much less waste and may truly be recycled.

the place have epr legal guidelines been enacted? 

Maine handed the nation’s first Prolonged Producer Duty (EPR) for Packaging legislation in 2021! At present, Oregon, Colorado, and California have joined the get together, and plenty of extra states are contemplating related insurance policies. 

how have epr legal guidelines affected europe? 

In Europe, EPR has an EU-wide mandate for various merchandise. This consists of packaging, single-use plastic gadgets, batteries and accumulators, electrical and digital gear. 

Right here’s some stats on how the EPR legislation helps scale back waste and save taxpayers cash: 

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

Clearly, the EPR legislation is working to scale back packaging waste, and enhance recyclability of merchandise. Which means the identical legal guidelines is also utilized right here efficiently within the US.

how can I assist enact epr legal guidelines in my state?

You’ll be able to assist encourage your state to go epr legal guidelines just like the one in Maine. 

The Pure Sources Council of Maine, has created a bunch of sources together with a toolkit to assist different states advance this efficient resolution for addressing wasteful packaging and plastic air pollution!

You’ll want to take a look at their EPR for Packaging Advocacy Sources. You’ll discover instructional presentation samples, informational handouts, pattern signal on letters, petitions, and a lot extra. 

To get began, The Pure Sources Council of Maine recommends you’ve got:

• Lead organizers: These individuals deliver and preserve allies collectively, are an data and messaging hub, and preserve key gamers updated and on activity.
• Champion lawmakers: These are the representatives who you may be working with to go the legislation regionally, so get to know them and current to them.
• A various stakeholder coalition: Coalitions are momentary alliances of stakeholders wherein they share dangers, prices, advantages and tasks of a venture or implementation. Coalitions create beneficial options and stimulate and facilitate information sharing.
• Deliberate messaging & media technique: You have to clarify issues by means of info, graphics, lists and maps throughout the board clearly, concisely and cohesively. 

All of those key gamers and methods performed a job in Maine efficiently passing the primary EPR legislation of the nation. Let’s get different states to observe of their footsteps!

Which state do you wish to see go an Prolonged Producer Duty legislation subsequent? Tell us within the feedback!