“Extended Producer Responsibility,” sometimes shortened to EPR, is simply, and importantly, holding the producers of various items accountable for what they put out into the world. Rather than corporations being able to make anything – even products that are potentially harmful or polluting – then shift responsibility and blame to consumers/people using the product regarding “proper disposal” even for hard-to-dispose of items, EPR ensures that those making the items in the first place consider product end-of-life, such as offering takeback programs, collecting materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill, or shifting to more ecologically sound production practices and materials that are easier to reuse/repurpose, or those that break down more easily in the environment (biodegradable/compostable).
You can play an active role in ensuring NY state enacts strong, effective EPR legislation by calling the State Assembly (learn more about how to do this, and who to call here), and attending a Zoom session next Tuesday, March 22nd at 7pm with Assemblymember Steve Englebright (register here).
