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Why US states are making companies, not taxpayers, fund packaging recycling
Extended producer responsibility laws, now active in seven US states, shift packaging recycling costs from the public to manufacturers.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a policy that shifts packaging recycling costs from taxpayers to the companies that made the goods. Manufacturers who design packaging would pay to dispose of it, creating an incentive to reduce waste.
More than 100 countries already use EPR for electronics, batteries, mattresses, and packaging. Seven US states have now passed EPR laws for packaging.
- Seven
- US states adopting EPR
- More than 100
- Countries using EPR
- From taxpayers to manufacturers
- Cost shift
Why it mattersIf EPR expands, manufacturers will have a direct financial reason to design packaging that costs less to recycle, which could reshape what ends up on store shelves.
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