States Awash in Plastic Packaging Want Manufacturers to Pay Up
By Leslie Kaufman | April 25, 2022 | Bloomberg
Plastic use is on the rise and it isn’t just clogging oceans, it’s burdening municipal recycling systems around the U.S. The costs of collecting and recycling or landfilling plastic waste have gone up since China stopped importing our trash in 2018.
All of which explains why states are suddenly advancing a wave of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bills.
EPR laws make manufacturers bear some of the responsibility for the afterlife of their products, either through a fee or regulation or both. They’ve been tried for electronics, mattresses and paint. But now the laws are being repurposed to tackle packaging waste.
Last summer, Maine and Oregon passed laws that require producers to join or finance stewardship organizations that will facilitate the recycling of their products. Maine exempts low-volume producers; Oregon will charge annual fees based on the environmental impacts of a company’s products. Both states’ laws are meant to encourage a reduction in packaging. Massachusetts and Colorado have similar bills grinding their way through the legislative process.
