Model Local Government EPR Resolution
Developed by Product Policy Institute
RESOLUTION NO. ________
RESOLUTION OF (Jurisdiction name) SUPPORTING
EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY
WHEREAS, [Jurisdiction] has established a goal of diverting ___% of our solid waste from disposal [landfills/incineration] by _____ [year]; and
more...
WHEREAS, manufactured goods and packaging constitute approximately 75% of the materials managed by [jurisdiction], based on figures reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [use local figures if available]; and
WHEREAS, [Jurisdiction] [taxpayers and/or ratepayers] paid $____ million in ___ [recent year] to manage discarded manufactured goods and packaging; and
WHEREAS, hazardous and hard-to-recycle product management costs are expected to increase substantially in the short term unless policy changes are made; and
WHEREAS, there are significant environmental and human health impacts associated with improper management of hazardous products; and
WHEREAS, state policies currently make local governments responsible for achieving waste diversion goals [and enforcing product disposal bans], which is an unfunded mandate; and
WHEREAS, the municipal waste management system was established a century ago to manage far simpler and more homogeneous wastes like ashes, food scraps and horse manure, rather than the manufactured goods and packaging which dominate today’s municipal waste; and
WHEREAS, local governments have no input into the design or marketing of products, make no profit from the products, and do not have the resources to adequately address the rising volume of discarded products; and
WHEREAS, costs paid by citizens and local governments to manage products are in effect subsidies to producers that enable and encourage producers to design products for disposal and without regard to end of life management
WHEREAS, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach in which producers (brand owners and importers) accept responsibility for the management of post-consumer products, so that those who produce and use products bear the costs of recycling and responsible disposal; and
WHEREAS, when producers are responsible for ensuring their products are reused or recycled responsibly, and when health and environmental costs are included in the product price, there is an incentive to design products that are more durable, easier to repair and recycle, and less toxic; and
[Reference local and state regulations and policies that will be supported by EPR policies, including product landfill bans, adopted Climate Change, Sustainability or Zero Waste plans, inclusion of product stewardship or EPR in state directives or plans, etc.]
WHEREAS, the legislature has enacted producer responsibility programs for [for example: waste electronics, rechargeable batteries and leftover pain]t; and
WHEREAS, the legislature has enacted binding climate change gas reduction goals and recycling and waste reduction are important strategies for achieving the goals; and
WHEREAS, the estimated gross economic activity for [State’s] recycling manufacturing industry is $__ billion and recycling offers significant local economic development opportunities; and
WHEREAS, [Jurisdiction] can advance EPR through a variety of mechanisms including requiring the manufacturers of products sold to [Jurisdiction] departments to take financial responsibility for collecting and recycling their products at the end of their useful life; by incorporating EPR policies into [Jurisdiction’s] product procurement practices; by favoring vendors and manufacturers that take back their product and associated packaging at end of life
WHEREAS, the [Board/City Council] of [Jurisdiction] supports statewide efforts to hold producers responsible for hazardous product discard management and other product waste management costs
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF [Jurisdiction] that the Board/Council of [Jurisdiction] serves notice to the State of ______ and to manufacturers and distributors of products and packaging sold in our jurisdiction that it intends to focus community resources on the recovery and beneficial use of organic materials (food scraps, yard trimmings, etc.) and to start transferring responsibility for the costs of managing products at end-of-life to producers (brand owners and first importers), under oversight of [Jurisdiction]; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board/Council of [Jurisdiction] urges the [State] Legislature to enact framework EPR legislation which will give producers the incentive to design products to make them less toxic and easier to reuse and recycle; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the [Sustainability/Solid Waste Director] of [Jurisdiction] be authorized to send letters to the State legislature and State associations and to use other advocacy methods to urge support for EPR legislation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that [Jurisdiction] and its member agencies include EPR language, such as leasing products rather than purchasing them and specifying product and packaging collection and recycling requirements, in contracts for commodities.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of [Jurisdiction], State of _______ on _____________________________ by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Signed: _________________________________ Date: (mo/day/year)
(Name), Chair
ATTEST: ______________________________
(Name), Clerk
(Jurisdiction name)
