Vape products are not only a health risk but also a growing waste concern. Nearly 12 million disposable units are sold monthly in the US, causing significant health and safety risks from fires from the disposal of lithium-ion batteries used to power these devices.  

The Boulder County Public Health Department has hired PSI to bring together key stakeholders to evaluate county-level policy options, including EPR, retail license fees, consumer fees, and bans on single-use vape devices. Last week, PSI’s Lelande Rehard and Hanz Atia led focus groups with vape users and Boulder County officials to assess how stakeholders would be impacted by these policies. Additionally, a survey aimed at vape users solicited feedback about how they currently manage their vapes after use and assessed their opinions on who should be responsible for end-of-life management. Following a final policy engagement meeting this spring, PSI will develop a proposed policy solution for consideration by the County. 

WASHINGTON LIGHTING EPR BILL ON GOVERNOR’S DESK

The Washington State Legislature just passed HB 1185, a bill that extends the state's lighting stewardship program through 2035 and bans the sale of most mercury-containing fluorescent lights in the state by 2029. Read more. 

OREGON RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT PASSES THE LEGISLATURE 

Oregon’s Right to Repair Act has passed the legislature with strong bipartisan support and now awaits the Governor's signature. SB 1596 requires manufacturers to make resources available, including tools and replacement parts, to consumers looking to repair electronic equipment such as phones or computers. Read more. 

PRESENTED BY

As momentum for tire EPR continues to grow in the U.S., we turn to our expert panel for lessons learned and insights on best practices for scrap tire management. The panel, moderated by PSI’s CEO and Founder Scott Cassel, includes PSI’s Director of Policy and Programs, Suna Bayrakal, who has developed and analyzed tire EPR programs for over a decade. Tom Metzner, EPR lead for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, will share how the state developed, enacted, and is now implementing its landmark EPR law. Steve Meldrum, CEO of eTracks Tire Management Systems, will offer his perspective on the success factors behind Canadian tire EPR programs. Lastly, Barry Takallou of Crumb Rubber Manufacturers will provide insights into the business benefits of tire EPR laws.   

On February 15, PSI CEO Scott Cassel moderated a conversation on toxics in packaging and EPR with a group of national experts. On the webinar, environmental advocate Anja Brandon from Ocean Conservancy discussed toxics reduction, Kate Bailey from the Association of Plastic Recyclers presented on how toxics in packaging impacts recycling, and Nicole Portley from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality discussed how the state's new packaging EPR law addresses toxics. Lastly, Melissa Lavoie from the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association spoke on behalf of the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse which assisted 19 states with their existing toxics laws and provides model legislation restricting toxics in packaging to other states. The webinar recording is now available to PSI Members and Partners in our Resource Library.  

PSI is pleased to welcome Megan Mabin who joined our team as Policy and Programs Manager last month. Megan leads research, policy analysis, and multi-stakeholder policy development projects for packaging and textiles. Prior to joining PSI, Megan led and developed global, high-impact projects in the UK and Australia and partnered with over 30 local governments delivering circular economy projects focused on system and behavior change. 

PERSPECTIVES ON PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP:

Navigating an extended producer

responsibility path to a circular economy

by Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of PSI

Attending SPC Impact April 2-4 in New Orleans?

Get a signed copy for free!

If you are a PSI Member or Partner, contact

[email protected] for 30% discount code. Signed copies available.

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT - STERICYCLE

This March, Stericycle is celebrating 35 years of protecting what matters. From a small start-up in medical waste management to a leading provider of medical waste management and secure information destruction solutions, we protect people and brands, promote health and well-being and safeguard the environment. The future of Stericycle looks bright as we continue to shape a healthier and safer world for everyone, everywhere, every day. Visit Stericycle to learn more.

PSI IN THE NEWS

The Daily Herald [paywalled], a suburban Chicago publication, covered EPR for packaging in Illinois and how it could boost the state’s recycling rate, quoting Scott Cassel, PSI’s CEO and Founder. 

WasteDive article on recycling legislation in Massachusetts citing PSI as a supporter of EPR for packaging.  

Inside Climate News reports on New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, quoting Scott Cassel, PSI’s CEO and Founder, on the effort for packaging EPR in the state and the perspectives and roles of key stakeholder groups including producers and environmental groups. 

The Signalfire Group published an opinion piece in Resource Recycling on the importance of coalition building for EPR, highlighting PSI’s stakeholder dialogue on paint EPR as the “quintessential example of stakeholder-negotiated EPR legislation.” 

Resource Recycling interviewed Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of PSI, on the ten states that have introduced EPR for packaging so far this year. In discussing the lack of movement in packaging EPR in 2023, Scott said “It’s a little bit like a giant snake swallowing a big meal of four EPR laws. They’re digesting a little bit. It’s taken some time for all parties – the governments and industry – to move ahead.”

InsideEPA interviewed Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of PSI, and Suna Bayrakal, PSI’s Director of Policy and Programs, on New Jersey’s recently enacted EPR law for electric and hybrid vehicle batteries. On the topic of federal battery EPR legislation, Scott said “it's really important to have multi-stakeholder input, and we would like to see that in the work that EPA does. One of the things that our organization does is . . . to bring parties together and try to facilitate agreements on EPR as we move forward on the provisions of EPR bills.”

SPC IMPACT 2024

April 2-4, New Orleans – Scott Cassel, PSI's CEO and Founder, will be participating in the following sessions at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition's IMPACT 2024 Conference. Register here.

• Panel: How is the Implementation of EPR Going? EPR for packaging legislation has passed in four states in the United States. In this session, moderated by Scott Cassel, we will hear from key stakeholders, including Andriana Kontovrakis from Reverse Logistics Group, Michelle Carvell from Lorax, and Olivia Barer from Circular Action Alliance. This session will focus on the state of implementation of the legislation in each state and predictions on when the impacts will be seen in communities and at the MRF level. 

• Panel: Producer Town Hall Session: In this session, Scott Cassel will moderate a conversation among Dan Felton of AMERIPEN, Carol Patterson of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, and Neil Menezes of General Mills focusing on engaging producers in packaging EPR. Discussion topics include what challenges and concerns producers have regarding packaging EPR, what factors have led to increased producer engagement, and under what conditions producers would be interested in engaging in a dialogue on achieving greater consistency in EPR policy.  

• Exclusive Stakeholder Dialogue: Following the Producer Town Hall Session, there will be an invitation-only session focused on fostering a national dialogue for packaging EPR legislation, taking a first step towards achieving the producer engagement needed for effective policy.

• Book Signing with Scott Cassel: There will be an exclusive opportunity, sponsored by NielsenIQ, to receive a signed copy of Perspectives on Product Stewardship: Navigating an extended producer responsibility path to a circular economy, a must-read for all EPR professionals! 

PARTSLIFE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

June 25, Leipzig, Germany – Scott Cassel, PSI's CEO and Founder, will present at the PARTSLIFE annual conference.

CANADIAN EPR FORUM

September 24-25, Toronto, Canada – The Canadian Stewardship Conference is pleased to host the Canadian EPR Forum. Learn more and register here.

The UK government bans disposable, or non-refillable, vapes to reduce and prevent waste. Read more.  

Yukon approves EPR regulation, introducing packaging and hazardous waste as priority products. Read more.  

Battery recycling in the U.S. can play a role in securing critical minerals for electric vehicle production. Read more. 

Colorado published its statewide recycling needs assessment, outlining proposed accepted materials list and MRF considerations. Read more.  

Minnesota introduced EPR for packaging which would require all packaging in the state to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2032. Read more.  

Recent changes in EPR in Canada may present business opportunities for waste companies, including WM, GFL Environmental and Waste Connections. Read more. 

The Mattress Recycling Council has submitted a revised mattress recycling plan to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Read more.  

Oregon recycling facilities are grappling with lithium-ion battery fires and “firework-like” thermal runaway. Read more. 

The Product Stewardship Institute is a policy expert and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the United States. Since 2000, PSI has helped enact 136 extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws across 18 product categories in 33 states — the bedrock on which the circular economy is built. We work with businesses, nonprofits, academia, and governments to ensure that products are responsibly managed from design to end of life.

The Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Persons with disabilities who require alternatively formatted materials to ensure effective communication should contact Amanda Nicholson at [email protected] or 617.236.4855.