by Julia Wagner, Marketing and Communications Manager
As a preview to the types of high-level conversations that we anticipate at PSI’s forthcoming U.S. Product Stewardship Forum this September, three EPR luminaries joined PSI’s CEO and Founder, Scott Cassel, to kick off our recent Annual Meeting for Members and Partners.
Allen Hershkowitz, Environmental Science Advisor to The New York Yankees, Reid Lifset, Research Scientist at the Yale University School of the Environment, and Joachim Quoden, Managing Director of EXPRA, shared information on the genesis of EPR in the United States and where they believe the movement is headed globally. From market-based environmentalism to the impact of the Global Plastics Treaty, the perspective was riveting. Follow us on Instagram @ProductSteward to listen in!
This has been an exciting year for EPR, and our enthusiasm was reflected by attending Members and Partners. We saw 42 bills to establish new EPR programs and 11 to amend existing EPR laws, including a new EPR law for batteries in Washington, an amendment to Oregon’s drug takeback law, and a first-in-the-nation Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) law in Vermont, which brings the tally to 133 nationwide. (Check out our EPR Laws Map, where one state changed color just this week!) And Maryland enacted a study bill that will likely lead to passage of packaging EPR in that state in 2025. We expect that soon we’ll have more announcements: Legislation awaiting a governor’s signature includes a paint EPR bill and a packaging EPR study bill in Illinois, and a first-in-the-nation EPR for tires bill in Connecticut. In Oregon, an electronics EPR amendment bill is also being considered by the legislature.
PSI has been right there beside our Members and Partners every step of the way – and this year was no exception. Suna Bayrakal, PSI’s Director of Policy and Programs, shared news of our work with Metro in Portland to help develop a vision for effective and equitable implementation of the Oregon mattress law in the area, as well as our engagement with SMR and other recyclers to pursue battery EPR legislation in New York state, in response to concerns about battery fires in New York City.
Lelande Rehard, our Senior Associate of Policy and Programs, reported on PSI’s:
- Engagement with Connecticut Green Bank and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on end-of-life management for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
- Collaboration with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to modernize the E-cycles program.
- Stakeholder engagement to develop an e-waste EPR bill in Alaska, where unlined landfills are still in use.
- Work with the Missouri Product Stewardship Council to build momentum for paint stewardship in the state.
Lelande also reported that PSI was recently engaged by Worthington Industries to develop gas cylinder EPR legislation in other states, building off of Connecticut’s success.
PSI’s work on pharmaceuticals and medical sharps stewardship continues, with Hanz Atia, Associate of Policy and Programs, reporting on that front. In collaboration with the Missouri Pharmaceuticals Working Group, we connected over 100,000 with resources including the Missouri take-back map webpage, increasing traffic by 600%; we also hosted the second Missouri Pharmaceuticals Stewardship Stakeholder Summit and worked with Rx for Climate to create a continuing education course for pharmacists in Missouri that included information on responsible drug disposal. In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, we implemented a project funded by the U.S. EPA to expand access to save medical sharps disposal across the state, reaching nearly 145,000 people with resources and inspiring discussions with the Department of Health to create a state-wide sharps take-back program.
As explained by Will Grassle, Associate of Policy and Programs, packaging EPR was once again a leading policy priority, with 17 unique bills introduced in 12 states (not including study bills) in this legislative session alone. PSI worked extensively to educate stakeholders on a range of related topics, including:
- Publishing the Making Sense of “Chemical Recycling” Report, which was designed to provide guidance to government policy makers considering chemical recycling technology permits and legislation and to support informed policy making discussions and decisions.
- Hosting webinars on compostable packaging, redesign, and chemical recycling.
- Facilitating a reuse in packaging working group.
- Developing advocacy and education materials for multiple states including Washington, Oregon, and Illinois, through our work facilitating the Northwest Product Stewardship Council and the Illinois Product Stewardship Council, respectively.
If you are interested in Membership or Partnership, click here. As Scott put it, “Let’s all acknowledge that this is a new phase in the EPR movement – we’re in prime time now! After more than two decades of capacity building, advocacy, and enacting laws in the U.S., we now have a robust eco-system of EPR professionals advancing the field in every corner of the country – state and local governments, large and small businesses, nonprofits, and academic institutions.”
