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New York and Product Stewardship

Learn about the waste management problem in New York and the US, the concept of Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and why New York is focusing on these initiatives. Discover how you can get involved and help optimize the current system or transform it for a more sustainable future.

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New York and Product Stewardship

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  1. New York and Product Stewardship New York Product Stewardship Council contact@nypsc.org 917-597-2119 www.NYPSC.org

  2. An overview of today’s presentation • What is the waste management problem facing New York and the U.S. today? • What is Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? • Why is New York focusing on product stewardship and EPR? • The New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC) • How to get involved

  3. What is the Problem? • Hundreds of products that we use every day • Products reach end of life & must be disposed of and managed properly • Result in a lot of garbage – 250 BILLION tons/year

  4. 25,000 lbs. of minerals extracted from the earth per person, per year! Most of these environmental impacts are INVISIBLE to consumers. • Finite virgin resources mined, processed and manufactured • Greenhouse gases produced; • 29% from products

  5. Some products contain toxins Petrochemicals, volatile organic compounds BPA, endocrine disruptors Pharmaceutical compounds 4 mg mercury Beryllium, PVC, brominated flame retardants, lead, copper Nickel, lithium, cadmium 4 lbs lead; barium, nickel, cadmium, rare earth metals 4 g mercury 0.8 g mercury Brominated flame retardants

  6. Some products are bulky and hard to manage at end-of-life.

  7. We expect local governments to manage our complex waste stream …and spend millions of tax dollars.

  8. …but, in turn, we end up spending millions in tax dollars to pay for it.

  9. We also waste valuable commodities. 2010 US MSW DisposalMillions of Tons (percent) Source: 2010 U.S. EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report, Facts and Figures.

  10. This is not sustainable! Source: PSI compilation of data from 2010 U.S. EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report, Facts and Figures.

  11. The consequences are profound. Environmental Social Economic

  12. So What Can We Do? • Optimize Current System or • Transform It? • Implement Voluntary Programs or • Regulatory Programs?

  13. How Do We Optimize the Current System? • “Pay-as-you-throw” (unit pricing) • Public education • Landfill bans/mandatory recycling • Recycled content standards • Invest in upgraded recycling facility equipment • Improve communication between end-markets & manufacturing process (closed loop recycling)

  14. How Do We Transform the Current System? Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

  15. What is Product Stewardship? • Minimizing health, safety, environmental, and social impacts • Maximizing economic benefits of a product and its packaging • Consideringall lifecycle stages, from design to end-of-life • Either voluntary or required by law

  16. Who’s Involved in Product Stewardship? • The producer of the product has the greatest ability to minimize adverse impacts. • Many other stakeholders play a role, too.

  17. What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? • Mandatory product stewardship • Producer’s responsibility for product extends to post-consumer management of product and packaging at end-of-life • Central tenet of product stewardship

  18. Product Stewardship and EPR Product Stewardship: Lifecycle and Sustainability Voluntary or mandatory EPR: End-of-life Mandatory only

  19. Essential Characteristics of EPR EPR: Not Prescriptive • Government sets parameters, but allows flexibility for producers to determine the most cost-effective solutions within those parameters • Flexibility promotes a market-based solution to meet goals EPR: Industry-Run • Government oversees law, but producers are responsible for implementation

  20. EPR: Changing How Waste is Financed and Managed Current Practice: Taxpayers/Governments pay EPR: Manufacturers/Product Purchasers pay • Recycling collection/infrastructure built into product price or company’s cost of doing business • Producers responsible for financing and managing their products at end-of-life • Producers internalize costs of reducing environmental externalities (unintended consequences)

  21. Benefits of Product Stewardship:

  22. EPR shifts the costs and responsibility off government, even if government keeps collecting.

  23. That means tax dollars can be used to meet other needs in the community… …instead of paying to recycle or dispose of our old products.

  24. Why is New York focusing on Product Stewardship and EPR? • Local governments can’t solve this problem on their own! • Recycling rates are plateauing in NY • New state property tax cap means local governments are seeking cost-saving measures

  25. Development of New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC) • Created out of NECESSITY in March 2009 by NYS Association for Solid Waste Management • Lots of support! • NYSAR3 • NY-SWANA • Federation of NY Solid Waste Management Associations • Product Policy Institute • Product Stewardship Institute, Inc.

  26. Who is the NYPSC today? Multi-stakeholder council with membership from: • NY local governments • Businesses • Recycling professionals • Members of the environmental community Goals: • To support sound product stewardship policies    • To develop and recommend workable product stewardship polices, provide leadership and guidance • Educate all stakeholders on benefits

  27. Priorities • Build and educate our support base  engage more local governments • Implement and strengthen current legislation (e.g., rechargeable batteries, electronics) • Pass new legislation on new product categories (e.g., paint, carpeting, pharmaceuticals, thermostats, CFLs)

  28. Get Involved! Become an NYPSC Member or Partner: • Stay informed on proposed legislation and new EPR laws and regulations • Learn more about product stewardship • Join the voice of NY local government to support new legislation www.NYPSC.org

  29. Get Involved! Become a PSI Member or Partner, too: • Stay informed on proposed national legislation, new EPR laws, and regulations in all 50 states that could impact New York • Gain access to an international network of product stewardship and EPR experts • Participate in strategic planning calls and meetings for product stewardship initiatives nationwide www.productstewardship.us

  30. Take Advantage of Existing Programs Get Involved! Participate in available collection programs:

  31. Get Involved! Pass a product stewardship resolution: Our website includes examples of local product stewardship resolutions from New York and the U.S., as well as a model resolution you can adapt for your own community. Visit: www.nypsc.org/content/local-resolutions

  32. Thank You to Our Partners for Their Support Platinum Partner For more information on becoming an NYPSC Member or Partner, visit www.NYPSC.org.

  33. Thank You to Our Partners for Their Support Gold Partners

  34. Thank You to Our Partners for Their Support Silver Partners

  35. Thank You! New York Product Stewardship Council Marjorie Torelli, Administrator contact@nypsc.org 917-597-2119 www.NYPSC.org

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