Many common products such as cleaning supplies, paint removers, fuel additives, oils, pesticides, and more, contain hazardous ingredients or chemicals that, if improperly managed, can contaminate our soil, water, and air, adversely affecting human and environmental health. When improperly disposed, these products can harm workers, end up in landfills or in vulnerable communities. Many consumers are either unaware of the dangers posed by household hazardous waste (HHW) or lack access to convenient disposal options.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set strict requirements for managing hazardous waste generated by businesses; however, it does not regulate household products and small quantities generated by businesses containing the same hazardous waste.
The producers of these hazardous products have little incentive to take responsibility for them once they are no longer needed. For products not covered under an EPR program, local and state governments bear the financial burden of managing HHW.
Many local governments run household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events and have established permanent collection facilities to help their residents properly dispose of this dangerous waste. But collection events are often infrequent and underfunded, and permanent collection sites are a major expense for taxpayers and local governments. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs serve as a solution to ensure these hazardous products are properly managed at the end of life, requiring manufacturers to fund and manage programs to collect, transport, and dispose of these products in an environmentally sound fashion. EPR for HHW programs have been successfully operating in Canada since the 1990s, leading to significantly increased collection rates for these products in jurisdictions with programs.
Programs
Vermont Household Hazardous Waste EPR Program
In 2023, Vermont passed Act 58, an act relating to household products containing hazardous substances, a first-in-the-nation EPR program for household hazardous waste (HHW), requiring manufacturers of covered HHW products to assist in funding and managing the proper end-of-life disposal of these covered HHW products. Local governments will have the opportunity to participate in the program and be reimbursed by HHW manufacturers for their collection costs; transportation and processing costs will also be assumed by manufacturers, saving Vermont local governments money.
Legislation
Resources
Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) – Household Hazardous Waste
About NWPSC
The Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC) is a coalition of government organizations in Washington and Oregon that work together to develop and improve Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies and programs