The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) has adopted a resolution for state and federal legislation that will shift the costs of managing product and packaging waste from taxpayers and local governments to producers and the consumers of their products, reports Greener Package.
The resolution (PDF) is part of a global movement that calls for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), also known as Product Stewardship, reports Greener Package.
EPR started to gain some ground last year in several states including California and Oregon as well as Canada with the introduction of EPR-related legislation.
In the U.S., 22 states have laws for electronic waste, according to the article. Most recently, Connecticut approved a statewide electronics recycling program that is set to launch in the fall, and the New York State legislature passed a new electronics recycling law in June.
The list of signers for the resolution includes five states:
--Christopher Cabaldon, Mayor of West Sacramento, Calif.
--Mike McGinn, Mayor of Seattle, Wash.
--David Maher, Mayor of Cambridge, Mass.
--Patrick Hayes, Mayor of North Little Rock, Ark.
--Mark Burroughs, Mayor of Denton, Tex.
--Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, Calif.
In California alone, the state spends more than $100 million annually to manage products that are banned from landfills, which the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) says is economically unsustainable.
