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Resource Recycling keeps you on top of critical industry trends and brings unparalleled analysis of the evolving materials stream, market turbulence, policy trends and more.

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Talking out tensions between EPR and plastics

Published: August 31, 2023
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Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at the Ocean Conservancy, speaks during the “Plastic Tensions Within Extended Producer Responsibility” session at the 2023 Resource Recycling Conference in Orlando, Fla. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling

Resource Recycling Conference attendees may have been expecting a boxing ring when stakeholders got on stage to talk about plastic and extended producer responsibility, but instead they got a message of hope, progress and civil disagreement on film, chemical recycling and labeling. Continue Reading

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The evolution of eco-modulation to drive eco-design

Published: August 2, 2023
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Researcher Reid Lifset sees a lack of good data as a major barrier to eco-modulation achieving its full potential. | Marko Rupena/Shutterstock

Reid Lifset, a longtime member of the faculty at the Yale School of the Environment, wrote the first peer-reviewed academic article on extended producer responsibility in 1993. He’s “been intrigued by it and studying it ever since.” In an interview with Resource Recycling, he talked about his latest research article on eco-modulation and his thoughts on best practices for using eco-modulation to drive eco-design in packaging. 

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After years of ‘fortitude,’ tire EPR is a reality in CT

Published: July 7, 2023
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Under the new law, tire recycling fees will be deposited into a stewardship fund, and manufacturers will be required to demonstrate that used tires are being recycled or resold. | Leestudio/Shutterstock

Connecticut this summer became the first state to enact a statewide extended producer responsibility program for tires, moving beyond previous iterations of regulated programs into fully producer managed and funded end-of-life management.  Continue Reading

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Michigan’s waste management overhaul taking effect

Published: June 1, 2023
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Michigan's capitol building with trees and sky.

Lawmakers in the Great Lakes State are putting into motion a suite of bills that focus on reuse, resource reduction and much more. | Henryk-Sadura/Shutterstock

Michigan is rolling out big changes to its solid waste management laws, taking a slow and steady approach to a complicated modernization process. 

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What materials will make the cut under EPR?

Published: June 1, 2023
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Curbside recycling carts.

Pinning down an accepted materials list means balancing a variety of needs and interests. | nate samui/Shutterstock

States with extended producer responsibility programs are starting to grapple with a tricky question: How do we establish a list of materials covered by the system? 

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Panelists: Bottle bills, EPR can coexist

Published: May 3, 2023
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People placing bottles into a bag for recycling.

Experts from both government and industry offered their advice on how to harmonize multiple programs. | Gavrilhurgoi/Shutterstock

Bottle deposit systems and extended producer responsibility programs for packaging can complement each other, but need to be run effectively, panelists recently explained.  Continue Reading

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Transitioning small communities to EPR

Published: May 3, 2023
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Sorted recyclables

Speakers from across Canada faced a variety of EPR-related challenges, but all agreed on one thing: Good EPR implementation requires strict cost management. | Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Representatives from five small Canadian municipalities shared the challenges and benefits of extended producer responsibility, advising anyone in a similar situation to be very familiar with costs and contamination.  Continue Reading

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Different PRO structures can achieve same result

Published: May 3, 2023
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Bales of recycled paper products.

Experts from Italy and Canada offered advice on effective EPR, drawing from their experience with PROs in those countries. | Ole Photo/Shutterstock

When building a producer responsibility organization, fees should be transparent, the industry should be in control and the system needs to be fair. That’s what participants in a recent webinar said, noting there are different ways to achieve those ends. Continue Reading

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Brands: EPR needs to be industry-run, include accountability

Published: March 30, 2023
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Empty plastics bottles for recycling.

During a webinar hosted by The Recycling Partnership and Resource Recycling’s Policy Now, stakeholders zeroed in on the components that make effective recycling policy. | Picsfive/Shutterstock

As conversations around extended producer responsibility for packaging continue to evolve, it has become clear legislation can include a wide range of components and targets. A group of policy experts recently offered thoughts on how to best bring the pieces together.

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