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The founding father of the Product Stewardship Institute not too long ago suggested the Group for Financial Cooperation and Improvement (OECD) on plastic air pollution discount insurance policies. | 360b/Shutterstock
In September, I used to be invited to hitch a stakeholder session assembly organized by the Group for Financial Cooperation and Improvement (OECD) in Washington D.C. The target was to evaluate the efficiency of the U.S. EPA in addressing the environmental – and, particularly environmental justice – impacts of plastic, which pollutes our coasts and oceans worldwide. Members have been additionally requested to advocate initiatives that the EPA might take to additional scale back impacts.
I discovered myself in a novel place. On the one hand, I wished to ensure that EPR, being a crucial method to fixing the issue, was included. On the opposite, I additionally wished to assist extra source-reducing methods such because the single-use plastic bans that have been championed by others within the room, together with nationwide nonprofits Surfrider and Ocean Conservancy.
With 38 member nations, the OECD works to determine worldwide requirements to assist resolve social, environmental and financial issues. The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) has labored extensively with the group. For instance, I had beforehand contributed to OECD EPR steerage paperwork and introduced on U.S EPR exercise at an OECD occasion in Tokyo in 2011. This 12 months, we have been advisable by OECD and invited to take part within the session assembly on the request of EPA.
On the assembly, I introduced on how state packaging EPR legal guidelines will scale back plastic air pollution, particularly when thought of with different legislative measures comparable to post-consumer recycled content material mandates and enhanced deposit return programs. Over the previous two years, packaging EPR legal guidelines influenced by PSI’s mannequin EPR laws have been enacted in Maine, Oregon, Colorado and California. In 2023, no less than 9 state payments are anticipated to be launched or re-introduced.
Scott Cassel
I additionally identified that the nation’s fragmented recycling infrastructure and insurance policies, lack of a constant supplies administration coverage and restricted technical capabilities problem the implementation of statewide packaging EPR insurance policies. Though waste administration is delegated to the states, there’s a crucial want for better state harmonization and/or a nationwide resolution that might be present in a federal invoice, such because the Break Free From Plastic Act, which can be re- launched in 2023 (PSI’s mannequin additionally knowledgeable that invoice’s EPR part).
Whereas it’s unclear what authority the EPA has to advertise coverage that’s not immediately enacted by Congress, I emphasised that the company does have the power to offer steerage and technical assist on points comparable to packaging labeling; a regular definition of recycling; and targets for supply discount, reuse, recycling and post-consumer recycled content material. I additionally urged that EPA might assist nationwide efforts pushed by state and native governments.
It is a actual, doubtlessly game-changing chance and my very own expertise bears this out. Starting in 2003, PSI labored with EPA to facilitate a multi-stakeholder dialogue – which included trade, authorities, recycled paint producers, retailers and portray contractors – and develop a state legislative mannequin for paint EPR. In 2009, Oregon used that mannequin to enact the nation’s first EPR legislation.
Since then, PSI has helped enact paint EPR legal guidelines constructed on the identical mannequin in 10 states and Washington, D.C. Paint EPR applications have collected greater than 51 million gallons of paint, recycled over 72% of all latex paint collected, saved governments and taxpayers practically $300 million and established greater than 2,000 assortment websites, over 70% of that are at voluntary retail areas.
I strongly consider that with EPA’s assist we might replicate the mannequin established for paint and that this is able to assist resolve the plastic air pollution drawback. All stakeholders might work collectively to create a nationwide packaging EPR technique that additionally emphasizes source-reduction methods comparable to reuse, that are extensively promoted by environmental nonprofits, together with those who attended the assembly.
We at PSI look ahead to studying the OECD report generated from the assembly, which will likely be mentioned at a joint assembly of the OECD Working Get together on Environmental Efficiency (WPEP) in 2023.
Scott Cassel has over 35 years of expertise tackling waste administration points within the public, personal and nonprofit sectors. In 2000, he based the Product Stewardship Institute, a coverage advocate and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the USA and has helped enact 130 prolonged producer accountability (EPR) legal guidelines throughout 16 product classes in 33 states.
The views and opinions expressed are these of the writer and don’t suggest endorsement by Useful resource Recycling, Inc. You probably have a topic you want to cowl in an op-ed, please ship a brief proposal to [email protected] for consideration.
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