1. Introduction to Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Stewardship

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. Disposable by Design

6. Toxics

7. Sharps and Pharmaceuticals

8. 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)

9. 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

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

11. 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)

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

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

14. 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

15. 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)

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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%

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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

28. 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.

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

30. 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

31. 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)

32. 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)

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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)

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