EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY Lynne Pledger lpledger@cleanwater.org Mass Recycle Conference, April 6, 2010

OUR TRASH:

1. organics (food, yard trimmings, soiled paper)

2. products and packaging

OUR TRASH

426,000 cell phones discarded daily.

EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY

* REQUIRES PRODUCERS TO PAY FOR DISCARD MANAGEMENT

* GIVES PRODUCERS INCENTIVE TO REDESIGN THEIR PRODUCTS

BRAND OWNERS PAYFor more drop-off locations

or for use of municipal facilities

PRODUCT COLLECTION PLANS

Must be approved by the state regulatory agency

May utilize retailers, local charities, local businesses, municipal infrastructure, or the mail—depending upon the producer’s business plan.

PAYING FOR E-WASTE

HOLYOKE--$8,450 WORCESTER--$25,000

BOSTON--$250,000

EPR would eliminate these costs

CARD OF INSTRUCTION FOR HOUSEHOLDERS

Put into GarbageReceptacles

Kitchen orTable Waste,Vegetables,

Meats,Fish,

Bones,Fat.

Put into AshReceptacles

Ashes, Sawdust,Floor and

Street Sweepings,Broken Glass,

Broken Crockery,*Oyster and Clam

Shells,Tin Cans.

Put into RubbishBundles

Bottles, Paper,Pasteboard, etc.

Rags, Mattresses,Old Clothes, Old Shoes,

Leather and Leather Scrap,Carpets, Tobacco Stems,

Straw and Excelsior,(from households only)

The Sanitary Code requires householders and occupants to provide separate receptaclesfor ashes and garbage and forbids mixing these in the same receptacle.

This law will be strictly enforced.

New York City – ca. 1905

Municipal waste was simpler then

955

92

187

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1900NYC

Poun

ds /

Cap

ita /

Yea

r

InorganicsBiowasteProducts

14

358

607

1960USA

25

387

1,213

2000USA

“Waste Generated”

Waste has changed since 1900

TRASH THEN (1900)... AND NOW (2010)

Landfill

• Why do we have so much solid waste?

• Why is solid waste so toxic?

• Why aren’t all products repairable or recyclable?

15

Questions

One Answer

• Brand-owners don’t pay for solid waste management.

Disposable and toxic

Products are disposable

by design

POLICY ACTION

EXTENDENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY

Benefits of EPR:• Less waste, less disposal• Products redesigned to be more durable, recylable and less toxic • More jobs• Costs savings for local governments

How can EPR support local business development and the reduce, reuse, recycle hierarchy?

EPR bill language

Local stakeholder input on legislation and producer plans

Local government Product Stewardship Council advocacy

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

Producers have the most responsibility because they design and market the products.

DESIGNING WASTE AWAYExample: a component redesigned to be cleaned can be reused instead of discarded.

Package waste designed away

Boxed tubes in U.S. store Unboxed tubes in Germany

MORE LOCAL JOBS

Example from state of Washington: Goodwill Industries has been able to hire more people since EPR for electronics has been implemented.

• European Union requires Take Back for motor vehicles and electronic waste (WEEE directive)

• EPR for packaging is the law in 30 countries – 24 European, 3 Asian, Australia, Peru & Quebec.

• 21 states require Electronics Take Back• Canada has over 30 national & provincial

take back programs.

EPR is the law in 30 countries

26

FRAMEWORK EPR

DEP will work with other states in the Northeast to develop harmonious bill language for Framework EPR in the region.

Will allow the DEP to add additional product categories to a statewide EPRprogram.

EPR actions for local governments

Start a Massachusetts Product Stewardship Council

30 © 2009 Product Policy Institute

~Local Government Product Stewardship

CouncilsSeptember 2009

Oregon

Washington

Hawaii

Northwest

California

British Columbia

Nova Scotia

VT

Texas

New York

Midwest

CT

30 © 2009 Product Policy Institute

Three of our neighbors have already formed Councils

A statewide Product Stewardship CouncilMassachusetts cities and towns, speaking with one voice

MA Product Stewardship Council meeting Contact lpledger@cleanwater.org for pdf