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E-Cycle Washington plan input and program updates

In July 2023, E-Cycle Washington collected 1.06 million pounds of TVs, computers, and monitors for recycling. The year-to-date collection total for 2023 is 7.45 million pounds. This is 94.1% of the 7.92 million pounds collected over the same period in 2022. Over the program's lifetime the total volume collected is 460.8 million pounds.

Washington Safe Medication Return updates

Updates from SMR 3rd quarter 2023 meeting: 

The Evolution of Eco-Modulation to Drive Eco-Design

Reid Lifset of the Yale School of the Environment and one of EPR's earliest proponents in the U.S., recently published a study on the challenges of eco-modulation in EPR programs. Early EPR programs were believed to incentivize eco-design in packaging; however, it is hard to determine if they have successfully achieved noticeable change.

How EPR Picked Up Steam in 2023

Although no states passed EPR for packaging and paper products (PPP) as of the summer of 2023, there are various signs that EPR for PPP has picked up steam and established a foothold in the U.S. that will only continue to grow in the upcoming years. Eleven states introduced EPR for packaging bills in 2023, covering nearly 91.8 million people, and although no full programs were passed, four states took dramatic steps in the right direction (IL, MD, NH, and RI).

Comments on U.S. EPA’s Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution Urged for EPR Solutions

In May 2023, the U.S. EPA released for public comment its draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution and nearly 92,000 recycling industry stakeholders provided input. Some of the most common comments revolved around the federal deposit return system and EPR programs. An example was the need to harmonize EPR programs from state to state.

CalRecycle names first Packaging EPR Advisory Board

On June 30, 2023, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) announced the appointment of their producer responsibility advisory board, per California’s EPR for Packaging Law (

E-Cycle Washington 2022 Annual Report – room for improvement?

Washington’s electronics recycling program, E-Cycle Washington, completed its fourteenth year of operations in 2022 and is preparing to submit a new 5-year program plan for approval by the Department of Ecology. Funded by manufacturers to carry out their obligations under Washington’s electronics recycling law, E-Cycle Washington provides a statewide network of collection sites and collection events where Washington residents, small businesses, and others can drop off covered electronic devices (TVs, monitors, computers, tablets, and e-readers) for recycling for free.

Oregon E-Cycles Modernization enacted into law

On July 13, 2023, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed into law an amendment to Oregon’s electronics EPR program, E-Cycles, that improves the program. Oregon E-Cycles was one of the first EPR programs in the U.S., and has diverted over 268 million pounds of scrap metal from landfills since its inception in 2009.

EPR Programs on Food Packaging: Balancing Source Reduction with Food Safety

All four states with packaging EPR laws in the U.S. – Maine, Oregon, Colorado, and California – encompass food packaging, but there is no widely accepted model that aligns the programs. Packaging producers must balance the need to assure the integrity and safety of packaging while meeting EPR goals of material reduction, reuse, and recycling.

What materials will make the cut under EPR?

The four states with packaging EPR laws, Maine, Oregon, Colorado, and California, are grappling with the challenge of defining what is considered recyclable. There has been significant debate around this process due to the fluid recyclable market conditions, urban-rural differences, etc. Oregon is currently leading in this effort. They are creating two separate lists: one for local governments and one for the producer responsibility organization (PRO).

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