Corporate Control to Municipal Reimbursement and Other Trends
2021, December 9 • 2:30pm – 3:00pm — Track B
The Break Free From Plastics Pollution Act and state bills in Oregon and Maine have sparked interest in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and printed paper among governments, grassroots groups and national environmental organizations. But what does EPR mean for recyclers and local governments and why are they concerned about EPR? Neil Seldman, PhD from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Washington, D.C., has been convening a series of working groups and webinars to refine and redefine what kind of EPR approaches will work best for Zero Waste. This session will describe the emerging consensus on EPR, moving from the idea of corporate control of recycling stream to one focused on reimbursing municipalities for the cost of recycling.
Moderator: Gary Liss, Vice President, Zero Waste USA and Advisor, Sierra Club National Zero Waste Team
Panelists:
- Neil Seldman, Director, Waste to Wealth Initiative, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
- Kristine Kubat, Executive Director, Recycle Hawaii
- Maurice Sampson, Eastern Pennsylvania Director, Clean Water Action