WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today led a hearing to examine Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies that would assign producers greater responsibility for the lifecycle of their products.
HIGHLIGHTS:
ON THE POTENTIAL OF EPR POLICIES:
Chairman Tom Carper:
“[W]e are here to discuss a sustainability policy called Extended Producer Responsibility and how these programs can improve recycling infrastructure and practices … In Colorado they are working to establish a program where fees will be assigned to goods based on their environmental impact … Programs in several other states have also shown real potential. Among them, California, Oregon and Maine have recently established Extended Producer Responsibility policies for packaging — regardless of material type.”
ON THE ROLE GOVERNMENT CAN PLAY IN SUPPORTING SUCCESSFUL EPR POLICIES:
H. Fisk Johnson, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.:
“I believe the only way to have an effective program is through a government regulatory framework. And we believe federal EPR is the way to go for several reasons. For one … Americans want the government to lead on plastic waste. Two, there is a complex web of state regulations emerging which are going to drive significant complexity, cost, and dysfunction unless there is federal regulation that creates a national approach. We need federal regulation to avoid overregulation. Efficiencies of scale matter and can only come through a national regulatory framework, and continuing to accumulate landfill waste is unsustainable."
Dan Felton, Executive Director, AMERIPEN:
“There’s unfortunately a lack of consistency between these emerging laws and the additional proposals we’re seeing come forth in the U.S., causing concern for many, including brand owners who will be the primary responsible party for funding those programs ... A deeper discussion is now merited in how uniformity may be achieved if packaging EPR continues to expand in the U.S., and whether something could or should be done at the federal level. To that end, AMERIPEN would be pleased to work with federal policymakers and other stakeholders to explore the potential need and design for any federal framework or program.”
ON PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT FOR EPR POLICIES:
Chairman Carper:
“We know that most Americans want to make sustainable purchasing choices, and that number is growing. According to a 2020 survey conducted by McKinsey, more than 60 percent of respondents said they would pay more for a product with sustainable packaging. And large consumer brands have noticed. Many companies, for example, have established ambitious sustainability goals, such as using a minimum amount of recycled content in their packaging, and Extended Producer Responsibility policies can help producers meet those goals.“
Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s questions.
Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s opening statement.
