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Tag Archives: legislation

Details on Maine EPR program start to emerge

Published: November 2, 2023
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Maine state house in Augusta.

With the broad intent of its EPR program now settled, regulators and stakeholders in Maine are hashing out the details of reimbursements, covered material lists, and much more. | Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Maine is moving ahead with its packaging EPR rulemaking process, with a key December deadline for submission to the state’s Board of Environmental Protection approaching fast.  Continue Reading

Environmental groups launch plastic laws database

Published: October 30, 2023
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A person using a computer with hand on mouse and keyboard.

The groups behind the database have already compiled a dataset that includes about 1,000 plastic reduction laws in the U.S. | DC Studio/Shutterstock

In order to tamp down on plastic pollution, several environmental groups have worked together to launch a global database for tracking plastic-related laws. It even covers the upcoming United Nations plastics agreement. Continue Reading

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California roundup: Breaking down 2023 legislation

Published: October 4, 2023
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California's state capitol building seen with blue sky above.

As the California legislature passes a handful of bills covering a number of hot-button issues, stakeholders in the state are optimistic about the road to a circular economy. | Jonathan Lenz/Shutterstock

Another busy legislative season is winding down in California. Several recycling-related bills made it to the governor’s desk this year, dealing with the right to repair, extended producer responsibility and the state’s deposit return system. Others didn’t make it to the finish line.  Continue Reading

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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

Report finds generally stagnant bottle return rates

Published: September 5, 2023
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Of the nine states for which data is available, only two showed meaningful increases in their container redemption rates. | Poring Studio/Shutterstock

Most states with deposit return systems saw static or reduced bottle redemption rates in 2022, according to a deposit advocacy organization. Continue Reading

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New England state imposes food scraps disposal ban

Published: August 7, 2023
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New Hampshire’s legislature passed a bill that prohibits larger generators of food scraps from sending the organic material to disposal, with some exceptions. | Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock

New Hampshire lawmakers slipped a food waste disposal ban into a state budget bill, which was signed into law in June. Continue Reading

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Biden-Harris admin aims for more sustainable procurement

Published: August 7, 2023
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A federal purchasing rule handed down last week directs agencies to buy sustainable products and avoid those that contain PFAS. | Petrmalinak/Shutterstock

The federal government has announced plans to further prioritize American-made sustainable products and services in its purchasing, including recycled content. Continue Reading

Path to passage: How EPR for HHW became a reality

Published: July 24, 2023
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The bill’s passage follows years of efforts on the part of municipalities and industry groups. | Brandon Bourdages/Shutterstock

Riding the ongoing recycling policy wave, Vermont recently enacted a program nearly a decade in the making that’s designed to put producers in charge of handling household hazardous materials. Continue Reading

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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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