Latest News

Tobacco companies must pay for clean-up of discarded cigarettes in Spain

The new cigarette EPR program in Spain will obligate tobacco companies to pay for cleanup. Millions of toxic butts are littered each year in streets and on beaches. In 2021 the country banned smoking on 525 beaches with the hope of reducing public smoking.

EPR still top recycling issue for state policymakers, but plastics and repair laws also on the horizon

Waste Dive, Jan. 2023: "Washington’s proposed WRAP Act would enact EPR for packaging and printed paper, but also establish recycling and reuse targets, enforce "truthful labeling" of recyclable products, and require scaled levels of postconsumer recycled content for certain packaging.

Rulemaking Advisory Committee meetings

Oregon DEQ is undertaking rulemaking to clarify and implement the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act of 2021. The Act requires producers of packaging, paper products, and food service ware to support and expand recycling services in Oregon for their products. This is the first of two anticipated rulemakings related to the Act.

Oregon Mattress EPR enacted

SB 1576, establishing a product stewardship program for mattresses, was signed into law March 24 and became effective June 3, 2022. Oregon joins three other states with mattress EPR programs: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and California.

Oregon Bottle Bill expansion

SB 1520, which makes several revisions to Oregon's deposit return system, was signed into law on March 24, 2022. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, wine in cans will be subject to a 10-cent refund value.

Truth in Labeling report

The Truth in Labeling Task Force (part of the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act passed in 2021), submitted their report and recommendations regarding recyclability claims for products and

Modernizing Oregon E-Cycles

Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) held two stakeholder workshops over the 2022 summer to identify and analyze options for modernizing Oregon's E-Cycles program through legislation to be introduced in 2023. Find future workshops and past presentations on Oregon E-Cycles.

Washington state House work session on recycling and EPR

The Washington House Environment & Energy committee held a Sept. 26, 2022 work session on efforts to improve product lifecycle management and increase recycling, with presentations from the Dept.

New California Battery EPR law

California AB 2440, the Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022, was signed into law Sept. 16, 2022. This law repeals and replaces the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act of 2006 and the Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 on Jan. 1, 2027, and Jan. 1, 2028, respectively.

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