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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | November 1, 2023 04:47 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Katie J. Muth |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Extended Producer Responsibility |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would implement Extended Producer Responsibility in Pennsylvania. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an environmental protection strategy that makes the manufacturer of the product responsible for the entire lifecycle of a product, including the disposal, recycling, or take back of the product. The past several decades have produced incredible advances in technology, however, the plastic and electronics of these technological advancements are increasingly difficult to prevent from clogging up landfills across the country, and the world. To address this issue, several states have introduced various versions of EPR legislation, including Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland, California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, and Washington. Materials covered in EPR legislation typically include packaging materials and paper products. Many companies have made the decision themselves to make their products and their packaging as sustainable as possible, but formally enacting EPR takes the burden off the consumer to properly dispose of products and packaging, and moves the responsibility to the producer and company who made that product and packaging. Many companies in states that have enacted EPR legislation have spoken out in support of EPR, including Allagash Brewing in Maine. They are one of many companies who recognize that we all have a responsibility to implement sustainable practices in all aspects of our economy, because by holding all businesses accountable, we can take the burden of waste management off of individuals and local communities and put that responsibility on the generally larger companies responsible for large portions of landfill waste. This is an important step to creating a more sustainable future for Pennsylvania, and holding those who create waste accountable for their impact on the environment that we all share. Please join me in sponsoring this important legislation. |
Memo Updated: November 1, 2023 04:48 PM