Sound Recycling Policy Requires Understanding Issues With EPR

Over the past several years, reexamining recycling policy has topped the priority list for many states.  

Extended Producer Responsibility, commonly known as EPR, is a policy that requires brand owners, producers, and material manufacturers to manage end-of-life costs of recyclable products. EPR is not a new concept. It has been around for decades and is applied typically to products that are difficult to recycle, process, or where healthy end markets do not currently exist.  

Though strong interest in supporting robust recycling programs is encouraging, complex policies, like EPR, require a thorough understanding of each state’s unique needs, as well as the differences between many materials that make their way through the recycling system each day. Thus, a statewide or regional recycling needs assessment must be conducted before such policies can be meaningfully considered. 

Recently, some states have raced to be first in adopting EPR before taking the necessary first step of collecting data required to make informed policy choices on a complex issue.  

A rushed approach may result in mistakes, unnecessary costs, and the potential to disrupt markets that have been successful for highly recycled materials, like paper. Because recycling programs are managed at the local level, good recycling policy must be based on a deep understanding of capabilities and needs of specific local programs.  

A data-driven approach will ensure continued recycling success of paper and other highly recycled materials, while creating a pathway to success for other, less recycled, or difficult-to-recycle materials.  

Some states, like Maryland and Illinois, have said they plan to study the effects of updated recycling policies.  

The studies will find what we already know: Paper is one of the most highly recycled materials in America. In fact, according to AF&PA data, nearly 68% of paper consumed in the U.S. was recycled in 2022. Most importantly, this recycling rate has more than doubled since our industry voluntarily set a goal to help boost paper recycling in the 1990s. 

The challenge will then be developing targeted policies that do not interfere with the market-based solutions that have contributed to paper recycling’s success. Nationally, 94% of Americans have access to the paper recycling system through curbside or drop-off programs. As a result, the paper industry recycles nearly 50 million tons of paper every year. 

Recycling is not just about collection either – consumers expect that material collected for recycling will be manufactured into new products. Strong end markets and investment in new technologies ensure that recovered fibers from last night’s pizza box or this morning’s to-go coffee cup are reused to make new paper products.  

Investments made by the paper industry support widely accessible recycling programs. Nearly $7 billion in manufacturing infrastructure investments have been completed or announced from 2019-2025 to continue the best use of recycled fiber in manufacturing our products. 

The contribution of market-based solutions to the success of highly recycled materials, like paper, must be recognized. One-size-fits-all EPR policies fail to differentiate materials with high recycling rates and strong end markets from those that are difficult to recycle or have low recycling rates.  

Strong recycling systems are essential to achieving a more circular economy. Complex policies require a nuanced approach. To improve recycling in the United States, EPR policies should be data-driven to address materials with low recycling rates, and not negatively impact paper recycling’s success.  

Terry Webber is Vice President of Industry Affairs at the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) in Washington, DC.