EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY Lynne Pledger [email protected] 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 [email protected] for pdf