In the June Plastics in Politics Live, Steve Toloken and Don Loepp discussed the current state of EPR laws in the U.S., focusing on recent developments in New York and Minnesota, industry perceptions, and the potential impact on the recycling industry. Recording below.
Toloken said that even in states that have passed EPR laws — and even in cases where industry has supported the proposals — “there’s a lot of arguing over details” including how to deal with plastics packaging that are not being recycled effectively.
Among the issues: how to deal with chemical recycling, whether packaging can be exported for recycling, and whether only closed-loop recycling counts for achieving targets.
A New York state EPR bill narrowly failed in the closing hours of the state Assembly’s session on June 7. New York would have been the sixth state to adopt an EPR law, after Minnesota passed a packaging EPR law in late May that industry groups backed as a “fair compromise.”
New York’s bill was more prescriptive than EPR laws that have passed elsewhere, and that was one of the reasons it ran into opposition. Plastics groups opposed the bill, in part, because it would have placed limits on chemical recycling.
Toloken said some observers believe that New York’s Legislature could reconsider the EPR proposal, possibly as early as this year, if Gov. Kathy Hochul calls a special session to address other issues that were left unresolved.
In the livestream, Toloken and Loepp also discussed the plastics industry’s efforts to shape recycling policy, the impact of virgin resin supply on recycling markets, and potential solutions for recycling and circular economy including container deposits. The next Plastics in Politics Live is scheduled for Tuesday, July 9.