PSI is starting 2022 with two new board members! We’re excited to welcome Racheal Ajayi of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Mia Rothlein of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) to our all-government board of directors. Racheal is the household hazardous waste coordinator in the Compliance and Enforcement section of MDNR, and her background includes work as a health, environmental, and safety consultant, geographical information analyst, and waste consultant. Mia has worked in the world of materials management and waste reduction for almost 20 years and currently serves as an environmental analyst in the Waste Management and Prevention Division of VT DEC. 

On January 5, New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address and unveiled plans for a proposed EPR program for packaging and paper products (PPP). As written in the State of the State book, “This landmark proposal will help New York reduce its emissions and stabilize the recycling market while supporting our struggling municipalities.” The governor's proposal is anticipated to be based on Senator Todd Kaminsky's bill from 2021 session, which was crafted using PSI's policy model and further developed with the NY Product Stewardship Council and other stakeholders in the state. Alongside the EPR proposal, Governor Hochul also plans to propose legislation to reduce toxics, particularly per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates, in PPP. PSI is currently working with stakeholders throughout New York to move packaging EPR forward. If you have questions about EPR for PPP, contact Sydney Harris, PSI’s policy and programs manager. 

On January 5, Washington Senator Mona Das introduced the RENEW Recycling Act (Renewing Washington’s recycling system and reducing waste), a bill that would establish a state EPR program for PPP. Upon introducing the bill, Senator Das said, “We’re building on the momentum that we’ve established in the last few years — towards sustainability, towards job growth, and towards the bold measures that will protect our earth for generations to come. This bill is about protecting both our planet and us, as consumers, by asking producers of packaging materials to take on more of the responsibility of stewardship.”

PSI has partnered with the Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce (SWAT) to develop a statewide electronics stewardship model for Alaska, where residents discard more than 7 million pounds of electronics every year. Landfilled electronics release toxins into the air and water and are a particular problem in remote communities. The model, which is being developed through a multi-stakeholder dialogue process facilitated by PSI, will be used to draft legislation to create an electronics product stewardship program to be introduced in 2023. This dialogue is taking place as states throughout the country are starting to revisit their current electronics stewardship laws and other states are exploring new laws. For more information on electronics stewardship, contact Lelande Rehard, PSI’s senior associate for policy and programs. 

As part of the Reopening with Reusables project with earthday365, the Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MO PSC) and PSI have established a working group that will discuss strategies to support product stewardship for PPP in the state. For more information, contact Sydney Harris, PSI’s policy and programs manager. 

After reviewing the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) plan amendment proposal for differential assessments, CalRecycle has requested resubmission of the plan amendment by February 21, 2022. CalRecycle asked CARE to more thoroughly address conditions for approval, including committing to an April 1 implementation and articulating a plan for annual reporting on differential assessments starting in 2023. If you have questions about carpet stewardship, contact Suna Bayrakal, PSI’s director of policy and programs. 

“Editorial: Proper needle disposal enhances public safety,” Tahlequah Daily Press, December 28. PSI’s pilot medical sharps collection program in Oklahoma is highlighted. 

“Medical sharps collection program underway,” Oklahoma State University Extension, January 5. Additional coverage of PSI’s pilot medical sharps collection program. 

“Sharps disposal program seeking community input,” Tahlequah Daily Press, January 11. Additional coverage of PSI’s pilot medical sharps collection program. 

Cathy Jamieson has retired from serving as the solid waste program manager at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, a position she held since 2007. We will greatly miss her on PSI’s board, which she sat on for over five years. Cathy provided valuable insights into the development of EPR policies in Vermont and provided a consistent voice in support of PSI and the product stewardship movement.  

Andrew Radin has stepped down from PSI’s board of directors after retiring from government; he served over 30 years as director of recycling and waste reduction at the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency in New York State. Since leaving government, he has joined PaintCare as their New York program manager. In his seven years on the PSI board, he was a strong local government voice in a state with significant EPR activity. He also served as the chair of the New York Product Stewardship Council and worked with PSI’s CEO and staff on the enactment of EPR laws on paint and pharmaceuticals and development of a strong packaging EPR bill. We look forward to continuing to work with Andrew in his new role at PaintCare. 

➡️Sponsorship opportunities: Demonstrate your commitment to the movement — and help make our continued success possible — by sponsoring our celebration. 

PSI CEO Scott Cassel will speak about electronics stewardship in a session on February 9, 10:00-11:00 a.m. AKST/2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. 

Questions? Contact Jessica Atkinson at jess@productstewardship.us or 617-236-4866.

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 amanda@productstewardship.us or 617.236.4833, TTY: use 711 or 800-439-2730; MassRelay.