Have you ever thought about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? By Julie Peller Ph.D.

Recycling and repurposing are methods for processing materials that keep valuable resources in use. These are mostly opposite to the standard linear system of goods, where materials are used and then discarded. To pivot to systems that keep resources in circulation, governments are turning to extended producer responsibility (EPR). It is an effective means to reduce waste, value resources, and hold material producers accountable.

Several countries and states have formulated EPR laws or are developing ways to implement them. The Product Stewardship Institute is an organization leading these efforts and documenting productive changes. Batteries are a prime example of materials that should not be discarded after use, as they contain valuable resources such as manganese and zinc. Additionally, metals used in batteries are mined using energy-intensive processes, and many batteries contain hazardous materials, including cadmium and lead. Many states have enacted battery EPR laws that cover single-use and rechargeable batteries. Last year, the state of Illinois initiated its “Portable and Medium-Format Battery Stewardship Act.” This created a statewide program requiring battery producers to “fund and manage the collection, transportation, and recycling of portable primary and rechargeable batteries, as well as medium-format batteries.”

The Product Stewardship Institute

https://productstewardship.us

) lists numerous materials (including plastics) that should be part of reclaim and reuse systems through EPR. The institute anticipates a need to address newer materials that contain valuable resources, such as solar panels, and to encourage a return-and-repurpose system with producer responsibility. “Globally, an estimated 86 million tons of photovoltaic waste from solar panels will be generated by 2050 – representing $15 billion worth of precious metals, rare earth elements, aluminum, and glass that could be recycled.” Currently, the state of Washington is the only state that has established EPR for solar panels.

In the season of thanksgiving, it is good to remember the natural resources that improve our lives and to commit to using them responsibly. Encourage your elected officials to support EPR for many of our materials.

Julie Peller, Ph.D., is an environmental chemist (Professor of Chemistry at Valparaiso University). She has been writing a weekly column called The Green Junction for the past seven years and is helping move the call of Laudato Si to action. Her research interests include advanced oxidation for aqueous solutions, water quality analyses, emerging contaminants, air quality analyses, challenges along the Lake Michigan shoreline (such as Cladophora, water, and sediment contaminants), and student and citizen participation in environmental work.