The Johnston Landfill is estimated to reach capacity in 24 years, and our current waste management system is simply unsustainable.

We need more products to be recycled and taken out of the waste stream, but we can't leave that burden solely to Rhode island cities and towns. We need manufacturers to be engaged in taking back their products, and to create green jobs by recycling them into new products.

Business as Usual 

When it comes to waste management, business as usual has meant that most manufacturers do not pay anything to cover the cost of disposal or recycling of their products. Once manufacturers make a product and ship it to a retailer, they can forget about it. In fact, they're designing products to be thrown away, and municipalities and taxpayers are the ones picking up the tab, in more ways than one.

• We pay a monetary cost. It is expensive to safely manage modern waste. Since manufacturers are making so many disposable and inexpensive products, there is a lot more waste to take care of. Municipalities, through taxes and fees, end up paying for their collection and disposal. 
• We pay an environmental cost. A lot of solid waste contains hazardous and toxic materials. Products that aren't properly recycled can leach heavy metals, contaminate water, and poison local environments.
• We pay a social cost. All of these disposable products require a tremendous amount of raw material, most of which is mined in developing areas of the world. Consequently, much of the hazardous waste we do collect is shipped overseas to be dangerously disassembled.

A Linear Waste Stream 

The nature of our waste system is linear.  Products are purchased and disposed of, and the majority of that waste ends up in our landfills. Some of it is recycled, but most ends up in the ground. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation estimates that the Central Landfill in Johnston has only 25 years left until it reaches capacity. After that, we will have to find another place to put our waste - unless we find a new way. 

A Better Way: Producer Responsibility 

Requiring manufacturers to pay for the collection and recycling of their products encourages them to design products that are less toxic, more durable and more recyclable. Producer Responsibility makes our wastestream cyclical (see graphic below).  It allows flexibility for manufacturers to decide how best to implement the recycling programs given their individual business models and products, and creates an even playing field for them to do so.

Who benefits from Producer Responsibility?

Businesses             

Products designed with EPR in mind have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Taxpayers                         

The role of government is significantly reduced, which translates directly into savings for taxpayers.

Job Seekers                       

As more products are managed by manufactueres, new markets for recycling are created, stimulating small business growth and green creation.

The Environment                                                                                                                                  

When less toxic products are made, there is less to clean up later.  When more products are recycled, or when they are designed to last longer, less trash has to be buried or burned.

Producer responsibility makes our waste stream cyclical. It allows flexibility for manufacturers to decide how best to implement the recycling programs given their individual business models and products, and creates an even playing field for them to do so.

The New Business as Usual

Producer responsibility is happening all over the world, so industries have already made many of the changes we are seeking in the US.  Here, 33 states have passed 72 EPR laws, covering products such as electronic waste, paint, carpet, and light bulbs.  Rhode Island has three such laws (for e-waste, thermostats, and auto switches), but now we're ready to tackle one of the biggest sources of pollution in the state: packaging.

Paper and packaging comprise roughly one-third of what goes into the landfill.  House Bill 7027 would convene a study commisstion to learn exactly what kind of impack packaging EPR could have in RI, and what steps we need to take to make sure it happens right. 

Keep an eye out as we tackle other problem products this legislative session!  A producer responsibility model for paint is in the works (think: old paint from your basement getting turned into new, usable paint again)!  Also, we'll be helping shape a producer responsibility system for CFLs, those energy-saving but mercury-containing lightbulbs that need a separate collection system from other trash.

 Action Steps

1.Write a letter to your State Representative and State Senator asking them to support a producer responsibility laws for Rhode Island.

2.  Write a letter to your editor. Be sure to add the reasons why producer responsibility is important to YOU. 

3. Learn more about producer responsibility and stay informed by regularly visiting our website, www.cleanwater.org/ri, and by following us on facebook .

To get more involved, contact Clean Water Action in Providence at (401) 331-6972