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May 2022

NERC’s Advisory Members

Distinguished Benefactors

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)

Benefactors

Coca-Cola

Samsung

Waste Management

Sustaining Members

  • Advanced Drainage Systems

  • American Beverage Association

  • Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)

  • Blount Fine Foods

  • BlueTriton Brands

  • Bulk Handling Systems

  • Casella Resource Solutions

  • CLYNK

  • Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Inc.

  • Council of State Governments/Eastern Regional Conference

  • Eco-Products

  • Fire Rover, LLC

  • GDB International

  • Glass Packaging Institute

  • Henkel

  • Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)

  • International Bottled Water Association

  • Keep America Beautiful

  • Keurig Dr. Pepper

  • MRM

  • Nestle USA

  • NEWMOA

  • PaintCare

  • Plastics Industry Association

  • Re-TRAC

  • Recycling Partnership

  • Republic Services

  • Reverse Logistics Group

  • Revolution

  • Serlin Haley

  • Sims Municipal Recycling

  • Sonoco

  • Strategic Materials

  • Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)

  • TOMRA

  • US Composting Council (USCC)

A list of all the logos of our Sustaining Members can be found under Advisory Members

New & Renewing Memberships

Renewing Benefactor

Renewing Sustaining Members

Renewing Supporting Members

NERC News

Newly Posted

State Updates

MASSACHUSETTS

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Advisory Member News

New & Renewing Memberships

Membership is key to NERC's regional and national commitment to circularity and sustainable materials management. We thank and recognize renewing Benefactor Panasonic, as well as renewing Sustaining Members:

We also have several renewing Supporting Members, and we appreciate their support as well:

Thank you to everyone for supporting NERC. 

NERC News

NERC’s Spring Conference Hits the Mark

For two afternoons, we engaged in in-depth discussions about mergers and acquisitions in recycling; ecodesign; the sustainability of batteries; making diversity, equity and inclusion part of your operations; agricultural plastics; and construction and demolition debris.  People from 23 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces virtually gathered for the event.  

If you weren’t able to make it, the Conference Archives contains the presentations, agenda, speaker bios, and attendance list.  Also, access to the session recordings may be purchased.

Conference Contact:  Mary Ann Remolador

NERC’s Fall Conference Dates Set - Will Be in Person

Mark Your Calendar

 Sheraton Hartford South

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

November 2 - 3

Upcoming webinars: EPR for Gas Cylinders,Purchasing Standards for Low Carbon Concrete, & Avoiding Contamination in Food Waste Feedstock for Composting

NERC & NEWMOA are jointly offering three webinars in three webinars on the coming weeks.  We hope that you will join us!

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Gas Cylinders - May 3

EPR proposals for managing used gas cylinders are emerging in the U.S. This webinar will cover the growing issue of discarded gas cylinders, why EPR can be a solution, a recent report on this topic, and how Canadian EPR programs work.

Presenters:

  • Jennifer Heaton-Jones, Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority
  • Peter Hargreave, Policy Integrity Inc.
  • Annie Lane, Worthington Industries
  • Mary Cummins, Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority

Register

Purchasing Standards for Low Carbon Concrete - June 1

Concrete is a critical building material but the cement binder is responsible for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. This webinar will explore options with lower emissions and the purchasing specifications being used by local and state governments to give preference to these products.

Presenters:
- Jordan Palmeri, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality
- Kate Simonen, University of Washington
- Dorian Bailey, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

Register 

Avoiding Contamination in Food Waste Feedstock for Composting - June 14

The usefulness and value of finished compost depends on a feedstock that is free of contaminants, such as plastic and non-degradable service ware and bags.  Unfortunately, it is all too common to find these materials in food waste destined for composting.  This webinar, jointly hosted by NERC and NEWMOA, will address successful educational strategies and programs to avoid these contaminants.

 Presenters:

  • Erin Skelly, Environmental & Compliance Technician, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Organics Recycling Facility, Minnesota
  • Kate Kurtz, Organics and Landscape Resource Conservation Program Lead, & Becca Fong, Residential Recycling and Compost Program Manager, Seattle Public Utilities
  • Natasha Duarte, Director, Composting Association of Vermont

Register

webinar sponsor logos

NERC Completes Four-Part DE&I Training Series

From December 2021 - March 2022, NERC offered a national – virtual – four-part training series on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) for those working in recycling and solid waste industries.  The Trainings were free and open to anyone attending.

DE&I Training Partners/Planning Committee

Dan Schoonmaker & Isabel Soberal, West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum

Cherish Miller, Revolution

Steve Changaris, National Waste & Recycling Association

Stef Murray, Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.

Nidhi Turakhia, Allied Alloys

Renee Panetta, City of Troy & NYSAR3’s DEI Committee

Willie Johnson, Willie Johnson Communications

NERC worked with a national planning committee to select the training topics and identify appropriate presenters.  The table lists some of the committee members.

The Series included the following:

Training 1: Making the Case for DE&I

Training 2: Identifying & Addressing Unconscious Bias

Training 3:  Creating a DE&I Path

Training 4: Engaging with Diverse Communities

All of the Training PowerPoint presentations, additional resources, and recordings can be found on the DE&I Training Series webpage.

ISRI Logo
NWRA logo Revolution logo

Newly Posted

Resources from DE&I Training 4: Engaging with Diverse Communities

The Training recording, in English and Spanish, and the presentation slides from the fourth DEI Training are now available:

Spring '22 Conference DE&I Session Recording

NERC's Spring ’22 Conference included the session Making Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) Part of Your Operations. The featured panelists were Melissa Young, DEI Committee Member, NYSAR3 & Assistant Director of the Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions and Olga Zamora, Vice President of Human Resources.  

Session Recording: Making DE&I Part of Your Operations

Webinar Recording & Presentations - Food Waste Reduction Strategies & Tools for Businesses & Institutions

Recording:

Presentations:

All NERC webinars are recorded and available for download: NERC webinar page

State Updates

MASSACHUSETTS

MassDEP SMRP Grant Application Now Open

MassDEP’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) Grant Application is now available through Re-TRAC Connect™ for municipal applicants and regional groups. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2022.

Last year, MassDEP awarded $3.2 million to 268 communities and regional entities through SMRP. This year’s SMRP grant application provides funding in six categories: mattress recycling assistance, pay-as-you-throw program assistance, recycling and food waste collection carts, mercury collection sheds, regional small-scale initiatives, and the Recycling Dividends Program. 

See the SMRP Grant Webpage  for more information including the SMRP Grant Guidelines and registration links to the grant webinars.​​

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NHDES Updates Regulations for Composting Facilities in NH

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) recently adopted revised rules for facilities that manage and compost food waste. The new rules went into effect March 23, 2022, and are intended to clarify and simplify requirements for operating a composting facility in New Hampshire. Composting is an important strategy for reducing the amount of food waste disposed via landfills and incinerators. NHDES estimates that Granite Staters disposed of approximately 165,000 tons (this figure is based on US EPA’s national estimate that food waste comprises approximately 24% of municipal solid waste (MSW) sent to landfills). In 2020, New Hampshire residents, businesses, and institutions disposed of about 688,000 tons of MSW) of food waste in 2020. The new rules should make it easier for entities to develop additional composting infrastructure in New Hampshire, thereby facilitating more food waste diversion statewide. 

The new rules make it possible for permit-by-notification composting facilities to compost all food scraps, including meat and dairy. Previously, composting of meat and dairy required a standard permit, which involves a more complicated permitting process compared to a permit-by-notification. By allowing meat and dairy composting under a permit-by-notification, the new rules simplify the permitting process, which should encourage entities seeking to start composting facilities in New Hampshire.

The new rules also add two key permit exemptions: one for small-scale food waste drop-off sites and another for community composting facilities. The food waste drop-off exemption allows collection and storage of up to one cubic yard of food waste (equivalent to roughly 40 5-gallon buckets), enabling food co-ops or other community centers to function as collection points without the need for a solid waste facility permit. This exemption could also enable start-up food scrap haulers to develop a distributed network of collection points in rural areas. In addition, the community composting permit-exemption enables a composting facility to process up to 5 cubic yards of food waste per month without needing a solid waste facility permit, allowing community composting operations at a localized scale, such as within a neighborhood or at a community garden. This exemption ensures that small-scale composting has a place in the Granite State, which may be important in rural areas.

The text of the newly-adopted rules can be accessed on NHDES’ website. These rules were the subject of a public hearing and public comment process that took place in December 2021. A summary of comments received and NHDES’ responses are available on the Office of Legislative Services’ Administrative Rules website (starting on page 5 of the linked document).

For more information, please contact Michael Nork, NHDES Solid Waste Management Bureau at Michael.A.Nork@des.nh.gov or (603) 271-2906.

Advisory Member News

Take Action to Navigate & Advance Today’s Recycling System with Circular Packaging Assessment Tool

After more than two years of input from a variety of participants, today the Pathway to Circularity for Residential Recycling Framework (Framework) is available for brands, retailers, packaging manufacturers, MRFs, communities, policymakers and others to use through the Circular Packaging Assessment Tool (Tool). While recyclability messaging (on packages, community educational materials and websites) plays an invaluable role in helping people understand what to recycle, there has never been one recyclability determination source for brands, MRFs and communities alike – until now.

This Tool guides users through the Framework’s step-by-step process to assess packaging recyclability. Developed with real industry knowledge and experience from 35 industry leaders representing the entire recycling value chain (Circularity Council), the Framework builds on current industry resources (such as the FTC Green Guides, Association of Plastic Recyclers’ Design Guides® and How2Recycle). The Framework was vetted through a public comment process which resulted in 750 individual comments from 70 organizations demonstrating the critical need for the Framework, and industry desire for these guidelines.

This free Tool offers step-by-step guidelines of what is required for packaging and materials to be considered recyclable in the U.S. The interactive Framework addresses different stages of the packaging journey through five building blocks: design for recyclability, recyclability prevalence, access and adoption, capture journey, and packaging fate. Upon completion you’ll reach a clear understanding as to whether package can navigate today’s recycling system and if not, what actions can be taken to improve the package and to advance the system.

The Framework will provide much-needed stability for long-term decisions, while evolving to reflect the current system. There are still some elements, such as design guides and protocols, in development with partners. To build consistency, we are proud to work with industry associations, including the Aluminum Association, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), the Carton Council, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), to reference existing guidance. The Tool interface will evolve to become a fully digital platform that combines the power of our national database and the Framework to provide even clearer, actionable guidelines. That platform will include an ‘on-ramp’ to recognize packages that are in active transition toward widespread recyclability.

The Partnership created this Framework to inspire and deliver new depth to industry discussions about the factors that shape recycling – we encourage you to take part in this important conversation. Reach out with questions or feedback as you work your way through the Tool. Subscribe to our mailing list for future updates on the digital platform. We believe there’s only one way to build the system of the future – together.

Grants Available to Attend 2022 Resource Recycling Conference

The Recycling Partnership, in association with Resource Recycling, Inc,. is excited to announce applications are live for the 2022 Steve Thompson Memorial Grant Program.

For the first time since 2019, the Resource Recycling Conference will be in-person in Austin, TX from August 15-17, 2022. The grant program provides the opportunity to apply to have conference registration, a two-night hotel stay, and travel reimbursement up to $650 covered for the winners.

The Resource Recycling Conference is the only national event dedicated to enhancing municipal recycling. And recycling industry leader Steve Thompson was a committed recycling champion who worked tirelessly to move the industry forward. The Recycling Partnership and Resource Recycling are continuing to honor him and his life’s work by offering these grants to recycling professionals to attend the conference, network with other recycling professionals, and learn from industry experts.

“We are honored and excited to be back in person at the Resource Recycling Conference this August and, once again to be providing recycling leaders with the opportunity to apply for a Steve Thompson Memorial Grant,” says Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership. “Through this program, state and local recycling leaders have the chance to collaborate, learn from other leaders, and work towards creative solutions that address recycling challenges they face in their communities.”

As a mission-driven organization dedicated to advancing recycling and the circular economy, The Recycling Partnership, is proud to be a carbon-neutral organization by funding unique projects to offset carbon from our offices and travel through Native Energy. When Partnership staff travel to RRC, this will be part of our calculation for 2022 carbon offsets – we hope awarded grantees will consider similar approaches to offset their own carbon footprint.

Applications are being accepted until the end of the day on Friday, May 6, 2022. We hope to see you in Austin!

To apply, click here.

To learn more about the conference, visit https://www.rrconference.com/.

Questions? Contact Lea Hensel at conferences@recyclingpartnership.org.

The Recycling Partnership Releases New Resource to Improve Drop-Off Recycling Programs

The comprehensive kit includes a six-step guide, tools, and resources for drop-off recycling programs

Forty-five percent of Americans don’t have access to curbside recycling, whether because of rural locations or multi-family housing structures. Many of these communities utilize drop-off sites in these situations to fill that gap in access. “The Partnership has worked with many communities to reduce contamination at drop-off sites,” says Cassandra Ford, Community Program Manager at The Recycling Partnership. “The Drop-Off Recycling Contamination Reduction Kit takes our proven anti-contamination process and details a step-by-step, six steps to be exact, guide so communities can replicate our process.”

There are a lot of factors to consider when improving drop-off recycling and it does take resources, planning, and time. This can include everything from communication with material recovery facilities and haulers, clarity for residents and users, ease of use, as well as safety and security. But the benefits of contamination reduction work at drop-off recycling sites are many. Effective programs can increase the quality of the recycling stream, save on hauling fees, improve program satisfaction, increase participation, and improve the capture of quality recyclables which feeds into local manufacturing.

This is the second launch of the Drop-Off Recycling Contamination Reduction Kit. “We have been working with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) on recycling projects throughout the state and through our work with drop-off programs, we recognized a need to update and expand the kit,” continues Ford. This includes a communication plan, staffing guidance, household engagement survey guidance, an expansion to the MRF survey, as well as a new section covering security features. “And while this updated version of the kit was developed through our work with MI EGLE it can be applied to any recycling drop-off operation nationwide,” says Ford.

“We were so pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with The Recycling Partnership and Michigan communities on this important project. And we’re thrilled to know that this kit will benefit local recycling programs across the country,” says Emily Freeman, Recycling Specialist from the Materials Management Division at MI EGLE.

The comprehensive kit includes guidance to help discuss recycling drop-off sites with local material recovery facilities and haulers, instructions and tools for messaging, tips for best results, strategies to reduce contamination including illegal/illicit dumping, as well as tracking and reporting. It can be used by communities looking to get started with drop-off recycling, as well as those with established programs that would like to reduce contamination, increase participation, and even improve capture of clean materials.

For more information or to download the Drop-Off Recycling Contamination Reduction Kit and get started in your community, visit https://recyclingpartnership.org/dropoff.

National Database Provides Real-Time Comprehensive Source for U.S. Recycling Information

Digital tools will offer individuals, companies, and government access to localized recycling program details 

The Recycling Partnership has developed a National Recycling Database, offering a comprehensive source for local recycling information across the U.S.  This first-of-its-kind database, and the community outreach and product design tools based on this data, will empower households, manufacturers, retailers, brands, policymakers, environmental organizations, and government officials to understand how individual recycling programs are conducted, what materials are recyclable at the local level, and ultimately how to improve packaging recyclability.

The U.S. recycling system is not a unified or governmental entity, but rather a network of 9,000+ separate local recycling programs.  Each individual program has specific parameters for which materials can be recycled, and municipalities collect recyclables in different ways.  This is the first time that a systematic search of community programs has been completed and aggregated into a database that will be able to answer questions for consumers, companies, and recycling professionals, such as “Is this container recyclable in my town?”, “How do we design packaging for recyclability?”, and “How can we improve recycling in my community?”  The Recycling Partnership’s National Database contains continuously updated data that will make it possible to answer these questions and more through a suite of tools that are currently under development.

With generous support from Apple, The Recycling Partnership created the first database that indicates what materials are accepted for recycling based on specific community programs, versus general information about what’s recyclable in an area.  This complex database incorporates research of all local U.S. recycling websites with communities of over 2,500 households (97% of the U.S. population) and a custom neural network that captures local recycling changes as they occur.  With this first-ever resource, the country is taking a bold step towards the innovative system of the future.  A video showing how the database works can be found here.

The Recycling Partnership is actively working to deliver a series of digital tools that will harness the breadth and depth of the database for multiple audiences. The first offering will be a chat-bot tool – available this Spring through both The Recycling Partnership’s website and other online channels – that will answer household recycling questions to address common confusion (e.g., “Is my yogurt container recyclable in my community?”).  The Recycling Partnership will also use the database in tandem with its recent Pathway to Circularity Recyclability Framework, which supports companies in taking action to ensure their product is recyclable.  Though some packaging may require further innovation, the database will allow for the recyclability of these packages to be communicated in real-time to consumers.  Given the power of the National Recycling Database, The Recycling Partnership envisions multiple opportunities to collaborate with communities, App creators, and other partners.  As tools are released, The Partnership will be engaging community and industry partners to get feedback on the data and input on future offerings.

The Recycling Partnership currently uses the database to target investments in strategic ways, focusing on communities that most need support.  Ultimately, the National Recycling Database will fuel the transformation of today’s U.S. recycling system into a system of the future, allowing:

  • Consumers to access trustworthy local recycling information;
  • Local recycling program coordinators to convey updated and correct recycling information to residents;
  • Retailers and brands to design packaging for maximum recyclability;
  • Material producers to determine steps to overcome impediments to recyclability;
  • Policymakers at the state and federal level to determine what is accepted for recycling at the local level.

“We are thrilled to share this powerful database that offers a hyperlocal and a high-level view of the U.S. recycling system at any given moment,” says Aaron Burman, VP of Data & Analytics. “We’ve built a state-of-the-art neural network to detect changes in community websites, but this is really just the data foundation for a suite of tools that will help drive circularity throughout the U.S. economy.”

“Advancing a circular economy requires concerted efforts and focus at all levels of the recycling supply chain,” explains Sarah Dearman, VP of Circular Venture. “The National Database will enable us to strategically affect package design, convey real-time recyclability information, and target action to improve the recycling system where it is needed most so that we can build a circular packaging system of the future together in an informed, cohesive manner.”

To watch a video demonstration of the National Database, click here.

APR Issues Statement on Effects of Degradable Additives on Plastics Recycling

Steve Alexander, President & CEO of the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), has issued the following statement regarding the effects of degradable additives on mechanical recycling of postconsumer plastics:

Claims regarding the recyclability of degradable additives are unfounded, untested, and possibly misleading as outlined by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Green Guide. No third-party testing data has confirmed these recyclability claims. APR urges companies making such claims to share their supporting data with the recycling community.

APR is concerned that degradable additives will have a negative effect on mechanical recycling of postconsumer plastics because these additives could compromise the integrity or useful life of plastic packaging or durable products made from recycled resins that contain these additives.

The use of such degradable additives in packaging may render the packaging non- recyclable because they lower the functionality and sustainability of recycled postconsumer plastics when included with recyclable plastics. Because degradable additives contaminate the plastics recycling stream, they must be kept isolated from recyclable packaging.

Any additive that involves time dependency and a decrease in molecular weight is a degradable additive and creates risk that packaging containing such additive is non- recyclable. The degradation of otherwise recycled plastics means lost opportunities for the repeated use of molecules through recycling, which according to the 2018 Life Cycle Inventory Analysis of Recycled Plastics, has less environmental impact than single use of molecules.

Although APR has provided test protocols for time dependent degradation for over ten years, due to the concern and risks involved, APR does not consider items containing degradable additives eligible for APR Design® Recognition Programs. It is also illegal in Alabama, California, and North Carolina to label a plastic product both “degradable and recyclable.”

Additional Information:

Closed Loop Partners Pledges Support to Resource Recycling Systems’ (RRS) NextCycle

Closed Loop Partners, through its Closed Loop Infrastructure Group, pledges support to Resource Recycling Systems’ (RRS) NextCycle, a customizable accelerator-style program that facilitates connections and nurtures innovation to create circular economies. Selected teams in the NextCycle initiative receive access to business, industry, and investment experts to develop project plans, make connections with partners and funders, and cultivate investment-ready and implementation-ready projects. 

Initially, this partnership will support innovative recycling projects in three NextCycle markets - Colorado, Michigan, and Washington. Each state, through its NextCycle initiative, will identify projects that develop recovery infrastructure solutions for post-consumer recyclable materials with a focus on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and aluminum, optimize innovative collection systems for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), and divert from landfill back into the supply chain.

Over the next three years of partnership, Closed Loop Partners will closely collaborate with the various NextCycle initiatives, identifying investable opportunities that advance collective circularity goals. 

NEWMOA Posts Videos on Reducing Wasted Food at Home

The Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA) and the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) partnered to provide Onondaga County, NY (Syracuse area) residents with tips and resources for reducing wasted food at home.

Two animated short videos were created and translated into five languages – Arabic, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, and Swahili –  based on four handouts that the Project Team created. The handouts focused on “Plan Ahead”, “Use Everything”, “Understand Date Labels”, and “Eat Leftovers”. Watch and learn more on how to shop your cabinets, create a meal plan, use leftovers, and understand date labels. This Project is funded in part by the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

Jennifer Lawson Named President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful®

 Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, is pleased to announce Jennifer Lawson as the new President and Chief Executive Officer. She will assume the role on May 16.

Lawson is currently the Chief Civic Innovation Officer and Corporate Citizenship Leader at Points of Light, an international nonprofit focused on engaging more people and resources in solving social problems through voluntary service. In this role, she handles corporate relationships, leading the recognized center of excellence to build the capacity of the corporate sector for civic engagement. Lawson designed and developed an innovative partnership with business and academia, The Civic 50 ranking of the country’s most civic-minded companies. She is responsible for the growth, funding, and sustainability of networks of more than 400 nonprofits and companies, representing communities in more than 160 locations in 39 countries.

“We were pleasantly overwhelmed by the quality of individuals who were interested in leading Keep America Beautiful into the future,” said Greg Jozwiak, Chair of the Board of Directors for Keep America Beautiful. “The job of the search committee was not an easy one, but Jenny’s experience, enthusiasm, and leadership qualities exemplify what we targeted for the new CEO. We are excited for Jenny to work with the great team, strong affiliate network, and committed board at Keep America Beautiful to reach new heights of positive impact to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s communities.”

Lawson previously led a global campaign focused on energy efficiency and environmental awareness at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. She also led sustainability efforts and initiatives as director of the Office of the President at The Nature Conservancy. Her work reflects her deep commitment to and interest in environmental issues, and she has become equally passionate and expert on volunteerism through her work at Points of Light, making her the clear choice to be the new President and CEO for Keep America Beautiful.

“The work of Keep America Beautiful feels freshly aligned with the power of this moment in our journey, as all of us seek new ways to bridge divides, rebuild our communities, and establish new ways to relate to our environment,” said Lawson. “A commitment to shared efforts to build and maintain beautiful places is essential infrastructure for that healthy and vibrant future. I am honored to have the privilege to lead this iconic organization that can deliver that impact at scale.”

Lawson began her career in northern Virginia, focusing on affordable housing advocacy and community development as the founding executive director of the Alliance for Housing Solutions. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she studied Philosophy and Mathematics.

Successful EPR Requires Five Design Principles, Finds New White Paper

To coincide with its 50th anniversary, TOMRA has published its latest white paper examining how to achieve greater performance from Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. This policy principle has the power to accelerate society’s shift towards a more circular economy, where resources are reused repeatedly to maximize their value. TOMRA, the innovation leader for waste and resource management, offers practical solutions to deal with the ever-growing volume of packaging waste. 

TOMRA’s new white paper, EPR Unpacked – A Policy Framework for a Circular Economy, examines EPR schemes for packaging waste and serves as a detailed guide for policymakers who design or develop EPR schemes, offering a multi-faceted perspective and practical insights to help achieve greater performance. 

EPR ensures that producers and manufacturers take responsibility for the full lifecycle of their packaging – from design to waste collection and recycling, and final disposal. As producers must provide dedicated funding for their own packaging, this policy principle also can incentivize sustainable packaging design and management based on the waste hierarchy, to achieve greater environmental outcomes.

The white paper explains the five design principles required for the successful implementation of an EPR scheme. 

These are: circularity, which prioritizes the waste hierarchy, incentivizes eco-design, and utilizes reliable measurement protocols; performance, which includes a well-defined scope, clear roles and responsibilities, and comprehensive targets that scale up over time; convenience and user-friendly systems that increase the amount of valuable resources that are collected and processed effectively; producer responsibility, which establishes clear rules for the management of packaging waste; and finally, system integrity, which ensures transparency and compliance to support the achievement of targets. 

Holistic analysis and consideration of the entire lifecycle of packaging, from design to disposal, are integral to an effective environmental policy. This new white paper provides advice not only on designing and developing new EPR schemes, but also on enhancing existing ones to ensure packaging materials stay within a closed loop.

“TOMRA’s first-hand experience in numerous markets around the world has taught us which methods can be used to successfully address the challenge of managing post-consumer packaging waste, and which combinations work best,” says Wolfgang Ringel, SVP Public Affairs TOMRA. “In some regions, where effective waste management systems have been established, more needs to be done to encourage the proper collection, sorting, and recycling of valuable material that is simply thrown away. Implementing legally defined (in other words, mandatory) obligations covering the use of resources, and their responsible handling, is the way forward, as this will result in direct, active climate protection.” 

Today, EPR is applied across regions globally. In Asia, local EPR initiatives have developed into cross-industry networks – a response to the fact that 80% of the plastic in the world’s oceans entered them via Asian waterways. South Africa and Vietnam have recently implemented EPR for packaging, and several states within the United States are currently considering such measures. 

While these efforts are making great strides in establishing effective systems, national and global harmonization remains a challenge but offers great opportunity for circularity. Additionally, attractive pro-EPR framework regulations should promote investment and ensure the realization of sustainable development. 

In Europe, the robust targets defined in the 2019 Single-Use Plastics Directive have resulted in almost all EU member states introducing legislation on deposit return systems for beverage containers, which will apply by 2029.

The implementation of EPR legislation is a transformative measure to improve both the quality and quantity of the resources that get recycled, thereby supporting the acceleration to a circular economy.

Download the white paper. 

For additional EPR resources, visit TOMRA’s Circular Economy Resource Hub.