What Businesses Need to Know About Packaging EPR
We have prepared various posts related to new laws for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging in the U.S. However, not much has been said for how manufacturers and producers can position themselves to address these changes, and what some of the key requirements are that will require planning well before actual deadlines become enforced.
EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility. This describes the comprehensive obligation requiring businesses who sell products in EPR states (currently Oregon, Maine, Colorado, and California), must reduce the environmental impact of their packaging by funding the collection and recycling of material. The EPR laws passed follows a model of ‘cradle-to-grave’ product management.
For the producer, this means that their responsibility spans from the entire lifecycle of the product’s packaging; meaning that it extends through the post-consumer phase including waste reduction, recovery, recycling, and reuse, and in many cases includes the design, operation, and financing of the waste management program. The intent of EPR laws are to shift financial responsibility to producers for the products and packaging that go into the marketplace; and away from the municipalities and regional waste authorities.
All four states have many similar requirements related to EPR. They focus on brand owners (producers) or companies that license or trademark a brand in which the product is sold or brought into the state by a third party. EPR laws focus specifically on single-use plastic packaging. EPR laws also implement compliance through an operating structure referred to as a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), which governs the responsibility for the collection, channelization, and recycling of the plastic waste generated from the ‘end-of-life’ plastic productions to ensure environmentally sound management of these products.
The specific requirements of the PRO depend on the state. In some cases, there will be only one PRO identified for the entire state. In other cases, there may be options for producers to participate outside of a PRO, allowing for an independent company to comply; however, fee structure and compliance timelines vary between states and the type of materials covered.
Changing legislation represents an opportunity for the lubricant container industry to move forward under a unified approach and bring the change needed for the recycling of hard-to-degrade plastics such as lubricant containers.
The NLCRC is helping bring companies together to learn and help transition the lubricant container sector to the circular economy while reducing the impact of lubricant containers on the environment due to incorrect end-of-life disposal and help companies adapt to changing legislation context which will have impacts across the entire petroleum and related packaging industries.
From industries to households, everyone has an essential role in reducing the lubricant container waste problem in the US. The NLCRC members include Castrol, Valvoline, Pennzoil - Quaker State Company, Graham Packaging, Plastipak Packaging, Berry Global, the Petroleum Packaging Council, Chevron, and Nexus Circular.
Learn how the NLCRC is addressing the waste problem by becoming a member. Connect with us through LinkedIn and Twitter. If you have any questions or inquiries, send us an email at hello@nationallcrc.com.
