Extended Producer Responsibility

Earth911 will continue to update this page as new information and laws are released.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in its simplest form is a strategy that engages manufacturers to take part in the end-of-life disposal of their products, shifting the accountability and economic cost of waste management away from municipalities and government.

This can be in the form of recycling programs or take-back programs, as well as deposit refund plans and added up-front consumer fees. California residents, for instance, pay an extra fee for electronics, which is used to pay for recycling programs throughout the state.

In theory, EPR provides an incentive for producers and manufacturers to design more eco-friendly, easier-to-recycle products and packaging, because they are held responsible for disposal.

EPR can be passed to manufacturers in four main ways:

  • Economic: The most common form of EPR, economy-based rules require manufacturers to partially or fully pay for end-of-life management costs, including collection, recycling and final disposal.
  • Physical: This type of EPR, often used with electronic waste, states that manufacturers must physically take back their products. While this certainly reduces harmful waste generation, it remains a logistical and financial challenge for many producers that are not equipped to handle the waste. Third parties are often utilized for this reason.
  • Information: Product labeling that alerts consumers of certain components and materials, as well as of proper disposal, are the most common forms of informational EPR.
  • Liability: Perhaps the most drastic of EPR rules, liability says that manufacturers are financially responsible for any environmental damages and clean-up costs from hazardous materials related to their products.

Collectively, these rules are intended to hold manufacturers and producers responsible for the entire life cycle of their products and packaging.

Learn more about Extended Producer Responsibility using the links below:

  • Explaining the Bottle Bill
  • Extended Producer Responsibility Laws By Product
  • Electronics EPR Laws by State
  • Battery EPR Laws by State
  • Paint EPR Laws by State
  • Mercury EPR Laws by State, includes automobile switches, thermostats and fluorescent bulbs
  • Carpet EPR Laws by State
  • Pesticides EPR Laws by State
  • Green Chemistry EPR Laws by State
  • EPR Laws by City
  • More Extended Producer Responsibility Resources

    • Extended Producer Responsibility Laws By Product:

    Regulations vary state to state and material by material when it comes to EPR laws. Check the list below for a breakdown of EPR legislation around the country, how you can learn more and where you can recycle these materials in your area. Check back regularly, as this page will change as laws are added or repealed.

    Electronics

    Find your local recycling
    solution for electronics

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    Batteries

    Find your local recycling
    solution for batteries

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    Paint

    Find your local recycling
    solution for paint

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    Mercury

    Find your local disposal
    solution for mercury

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    Carpet

    Find your local recycling
    solution for carpet

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    Pesticides

    Find your local disposal
    solution for pesticides

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    Green Chemistry

    Find your local disposal
    solution for HHW

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    EPR Laws by City

    • San Francisco: Safe drug disposal ordinance (2010) First U.S. jurisdiction to pass an EPR ordinance mandating a drug-disposal program funded by pharmaceutical companies. Phone book opt-in ordinance (2011).
    • Seattle: Directories and phone books. (2010) Requires directory publishers to pay, per ton, the city’s costs of recycling directories.
    • New York City: Electronics recycling. (2010)

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    More Extended Producer Responsibility Resources:

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