NERC, NEWMOA publish white paper on EPR for packaging

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), Brattleboro, Vermont, and the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), Boston, have published a white paper on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and paper products (PPP). Through the white paper, the two groups aim to provide state officials, policymakers and affected industries with a baseline knowledge on this topic.

According to a news release from NERC, the Northeast Committee on the Environment (NECOE), a program of the Washington-based Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG), requested that NEWMOA and NERC provide information about EPR for packaging and paper products to help them, other state officials and others consider options for EPR for PPP. The white paper offers an overarching understanding of the EPR system structure and design, requirements and benefits. 

In 2019, NERC and NEWMOA also published a short introductory fact sheet on EPR for PPP. This white paper is a companion resource to provide more in-depth information on existing programs and proposals, NERC states.

“This paper will help state officials, [nongovernmental organizations] and many others understand the key proposals to date in the northeast for EPR for packaging and paper products. This is a very dynamic area of public policy, and we anticipate a number of changes and more proposals in the coming years. We look forward to continuing to support efforts in this area, especially our regional network of state officials and NGO EPR supporter,” says Terri Goldberg, NEWMOA’s executive director. 

“EPR for packaging and paper has exploded as an area of interest in the northeast,” says Lynn Rubinstein, NERC’s executive director. “This white paper is a unique resource providing the essential components of EPR for PPP and how they integrate for a successful recycling program.”

Click here to read the white paper.