Packaging EPR programs are currently in place in parts of Europe, Canada and elsewhere, but to date, this system hasn’t reached the U.S. | Skylines/Shutterstock
Extended producer responsibility for a wide range of recyclables is gaining steam around the country. Haulers and facility operators say it’s critical that these proposals are crafted well – both to preserve what already works and allow for much-needed changes.
A committee in Oregon envisions a uniform statewide “accepted recyclables list,” as well as “truth-in-labeling” requirements, which would require packaging to have accurate labeling indicating whether it should be recycled, composted or disposed of in the trash. | emmavgerard/Shutterstock
A multi-stakeholder group in Oregon is urging state leaders to implement an extended producer responsibility program for printed paper and packaging. In Washington, officials are developing recommendations to reduce plastic packaging waste.
During the second quarter of 2020, CARE held the recycling rate steady at 19.8% in California. | optimarc/Shutterstock
California’s carpet recycling program achieved a substantial increase in the recycling rate last year, but the number still fell short of a target in state law.
Senate Bill 54 would have tasked state regulators with developing and adopting rules requiring all single-use packaging and “priority single-use products” sold in California to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. | SerPhoto/Shutterstock
For the second straight year, a California proposal that had broad recyclability goals did not make it through the legislature.
Starting in 2023, “packaging-like” and “single-use” products will be added to British Columbia’s producer-managed recycling program. | Tudoran Andrei/Shutterstock
Canada’s third-largest province has approved a number of changes to its extended producer responsibility and container deposit programs. Continue Reading
Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) will boost subsidies to help keep California carpet recycling companies afloat. | ND700/Shutterstock
A stewardship group is boosting subsidies for California’s carpet recycling companies, which have been hit with a double whammy of coronavirus impacts and low virgin plastic prices.
A steering committee is reviewing five scenarios to potentially reshape the future of recycling in Oregon. | kipgodi/Shutterstock
Industry leaders in one West Coast state are pondering a variety of different frameworks to help recycling programs and processors find greater resilience in the wake of National Sword. Producers may ultimately be asked to play a big role in the solution.
No U.S. state currently has an EPR law in place for packaging. | Yurii Prohonnyi/Shutterstock
Maine legislators are gearing up to introduce a bill that would mandate producers to fund the recycling of packaging they put on the market. The plan calls for different requirements based on whether a packaging type is “readily recyclable.”
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging is already in place in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec. | One Photo / Shutterstock
New Brunswick will require that manufacturers pay for the end-of-life collection and processing of the packaging materials they produce.