An American Version of EPR
NERC Board Member Chaz Miller writes on what extended producer responsibility laws could look like in the United States. The original article can be found here.
“Make the manufacturers pay” has become a popular solution for recycling’s problems. It seems simple after all, that if producers pay for recycling instead of local governments, taxpayer money can be used on other services. Moreover, by “internalizing” the recycling cost, manufacturers will find ways to make their packaging and products more easily recyclable. Sounds great doesn’t it?
These product stewardship laws, also known as “EPR” for “extended producer responsibility”, are somewhat common in the United States.Thirty-three states have laws covering products that are hard to recycle or contain hazardous constituents. They include, for instance, electronics, paint, carpets, mattresses and mercury-containing thermostats. The programs have been somewhat successful in increasing recycling of those products but have done little to make them more easily recyclable or otherwise…