John Gage

Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) makes producers responsible for the packaging waste they produce. Currently, taxpayers or individuals must pay to dispose of whatever packaging producers choose to use. EPR shifts the cost to where it belongs, encouraging the market to reduce wasteful packaging and, in turn, lower costs for garbage processing. Shifting the cost of wasteful packaging from taxpayers to producers will encourage companies to use less packaging and use recyclable components. A study committee in 2024 worked out some of the logistics. More info is available at beyondplastics.org/epr.