Introduction to Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Stewardship

In This Lesson By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to: (Knowledge Level) list at least five materials that generally require a producer responsibility policy in place to ensure safe and proper disposal/recycling (Knowledge Level) identify Countries that have implemented EPR (Comprehension Level) describe the benefits to manufacturers when they take responsibility for their own products

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Defined* “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the extension of the responsibility of producers, and all entities involved in the product chain, to reduce the cradle-to-cradle impacts of a product and its packaging; the primary responsibility lies with the producer, or brand owner, who makes design and marketing decisions.” * Source: CalRecycle

Increased Product Generation TOTAL Products Million Tons Per Year Food & Yard Mineral EPA data from a report by the Product Policy Institute (PPI), Unintended Consequences: Municipal Solid Waste and the Throwaway Society. Permission for use of illustration granted by PPI. Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Disposable by Design

Toxics

Sharps and Pharmaceuticals

Bay Area Pharmaceutical EPR Safe Drug Disposal Program (Ordinances Adopted) Alameda County (June 24, 2012) San Francisco (2010) San Mateo County (April 28, 2015) Santa Clara County (May 19, 2015)

Bans Without Plans Do not reduce volume, toxicity or illegal disposal Do not create collection and recycling options Place enforcement burden on local government Place cost burden on ratepayers and taxpayers Bans without Plans

Photo taken in California after the U-Waste Ban. Illegal Disposal Photo taken in California after the U-Waste Ban.

Cradle to Cradle System Approach Retailers Consumers Manufacturers Take Back Programs mail-back, collection sites, haulers, local governments Materials are recycled into new products Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Producer Responsibility for Batteries Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Manufacturer Take-Back Retailer Take-Back Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Manufacturer benefits When manufacturers take responsibility for the recycling of their own products, they: Use environmentally safer materials in the production process Consume fewer materials in the production process Design products to last longer and be more useful Create safer recycling systems Are motivated to keep waste costs down No longer pass the cost of disposal to the government and the taxpayers Source: Clean Production Action: Extended Producer Responsibility: A waste management strategy that cuts waste, creates a cleaner environment and save taxpayers money

Permission for use granted by CAT. “EPR drives us … to design for remanufacturing and upgradability” Tractor Permission for use granted by CAT. Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Where is EPR found European Union is leader – creation of WEEE Canada Asia – Japan and South Korea Brazil Australia/New Zealand United States

North American Product Stewardship Councils (9/10) British Columbia British Columbia Nova Scotia Midwest Vermont Northwest Washington New York Maine Montana North Dakota Minnesota Oregon Idaho Wisconsin New Hampshire South Dakota New York Massachusetts Wyoming Michigan Rhode Island Connecticut Iowa Pennsylvania New Jersey Connecticut California Nevada Nebraska Indiana Ohio Delaware Utah Illinois West Maryland California Colorado Virginia Kansas Missouri Virginia Kentucky North Tennessee Carolina Arizona Oklahoma New Mexico Arkansas South Carolina Mississippi Alabama Georgia Hawaii Texas Louisiana Texas Florida Permission for use of illustration granted by Product Policy Institute © 2009 by the Product Policy Institute

Europe - WEEE directive Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment waste passed by the European Union in 2003 and requires all producers to be responsible for end-of-life management of their products by 2005

European Electronic Waste Producers must include all costs to collect, reuse and recycle their products Cost of collection & recycling is invisibly included in cost of product Clear labeling of product Minimal standard of 50%-75% reuse or recycling of collected materials Ban on hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium and BFRs Producers are responsible for their own products Convenient collection system Wide range of electronic devices

Green Dot Packaging EPR program PRO assume responsibility of collection, sorting and recycling of packaging waste (originally 1 –DSD, now 9 PROs competing) Started in 1993 Producers and distributors pay an annual license fee to DSD based on amount and type of packaging Producers place symbol on packaging Consumer have to dispose and pay separate fee for non-Green Dot products

Green Dot During period 1991 – 1995 Green Dot packaging reduced by 14% and US increased by 13% Elimination of unnecessary packaging such as blister packs Composite fell by 50% and plastics in packaging fell by 40% by volume Total packaging reduced 1 million tons Refillable beverage container mandate of 72%

California Product Stewardship Laws (Not necessarily EPR) AB 2020 - The Bottle Bill (1986) SB 20 - Electronic Waste Recycling Act (2003) AB 1343 - Paint Recovery Act (2010) AB 2398 - Carpet Product Stewardship (2010) 22

California Bottle Bill Enacted in 1986 (AB 2020) Initially administered and monitored by Department of Conservation – now by CalRecycle Goal: 80% Recycling Rate for all aluminum, glass, plastic and bimetal containers sold in CA 23

California Bottle Bill Funding California Redemption Value (CRV) Paid by Distributors on every container sold or offered for sale in CA Retailers charge CRV at point of purchase Consumers return empty containers to recyclers and receive refund Manufacturers also pay processing fees for recycling containers that have less scrap value than the cost of recycling 24

Key Program Highlights CRV held in CA Beverage Container Recycling Fund (CBCRF) Deposit levels (since 2007) $0.05 for containers under 24 oz. $0.10 for containers 24 oz. or larger Includes beer, soda, juice, coffee and related beverages Does not include wine and spirits Does not include flexible packaging 25

Unredeemed Refunds Unredeemed refunds are used for payments to: Convenience zone recyclers Other recyclers (buy-back centers, etc.) Local curbside programs Community collection programs Incentives to encourage the quality and demand for recycled materials Recycling grants to cities or others Public education Program administration Recycling grants to local conservation corps 26

Do you recycle. If so, where Do you recycle? If so, where? At home or do you take bottles to a recycling center? Do a poll in your class and see how closely it resembles the results on the next slide.

Where Do We Recycle? Traditional (old-line) recyclers: 55% Supermarket centers: 34% Curbside Programs: 9% Community Programs: 3% 29

CA Electronic waste – Advance Recycling Fee SB20 – Places an ARF on TV monitors and computer displays. Money collected from retailer by state organization Used to pay 3rd party recycling organizations No information flow between recyclers and producers No reason for product redesign No producer responsibility Taxpayers foot cost to cover system shortages Doesn’t cover any other electronic devices CA Electronic waste – Advance Recycling Fee

State Support for EPR Strategic Directive 5, Adopted February 2007 CalRecycle* will … “Seek statutory authority to foster cradle-to-cradle producer responsibility.” “Develop relationships with stakeholders that result in producer-financed and producer-managed systems” * Formerly the California Integrated Waste Management Board Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

California EPR Legislation 2008 - 2010 APPROVED Ag Pesticide Containers Recalled Products Take-Back Mercury Thermostat Green Chemistry Paint Carpet Brake Pads The Governor calls AB 1879 “the most comprehensive Green Chemistry program ever established” and added that it “puts an end to the less effective chemical-by-chemical ban of the past.” Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

EPR and Zero Waste Communities Businesses take back products and packaging at no cost to the public Advocate for state and national EPR policies Incentive to redesign products to be less toxic and easier to reuse and recycle Don’t export harm and properly reuse, recycle or compost Support small, local businesses and nonprofits Gary

Product Policies Favored by Zero Waste Communities Shared Funding of Takebacks for Reuse, Recycling & Composting (e.g., Advanced recycling fees/deposits) Shared Responsibility – Design & Implement Policies & Programs for Toxics and Problem Materials not currently marketable or usable Redesign – Redesigning products & packaging to be more sustainable is important goal 34

Benefits of Support from ZW Communities for EPR Multiplicity of local programs creates real pressure to develop more comprehensive programs at state and national level Each community can target products of concern locally and only need to be concerned about how it impacts local businesses ZW Communities help to set up State Product Stewardship Councils

CA Local Government EPR Key to City & County Resolutions: City has passed an EPR resolution County has individually passed an EPR resolution County is a member of an association1 that has passed an EPR resolution or policy statement, but has not individually passed an EPR resolution Three major local government associations have all adopted resolutions in support of EPR: California State Association of Counties League of Cities Regional Council of Rural Counties Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

CPSC – A Leader for CA EPR Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)