NYPSC Quarterly Newsletter – Winter 2017

NYPSC Updates
Governor Cuomo Vetoes Ineffective Drug Disposal Legislation
Tell Governor Cuomo to Include Paint Stewardship in his 2018 Executive Budget Bill
Over 200 Industry Professionals Inspired at the 2017 New York Textiles Summit
NYPSC and Product Stewardship Institute Launch USDA-funded Project to Expand Drug Take-Back

New York State News
New York State Department of Conservation (NYS DEC) Offers Grant to Assist Municipalities with E-Waste Recycling
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Highlighted at New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Conference

National Updates
Pennsylvania Senate Holds Hearing on Bill to Amend the State’s Electronics Extended Producer Responsibility Law
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Identifies Priority Packaging Items for Mandatory Policy
Eleven State and Local Governments Suggest Changes to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Drug Take-Back Regulations
Chittenden County, Vermont is First in the Nation for Mercury Thermostat Collection
California Governor Signs Bill to Strengthen Carpet Stewardship Program

Events, Webinars, & Conferences

What We’re Reading

 

NYPSC Updates

Governor Cuomo Vetoes Ineffective Drug Disposal Legislation
On Monday December 18, 2017, Governor Cuomo vetoed A.387-B (/S.6750), a bill that would have let pharmaceutical producers avoid responsibility for the recovery of unwanted drugs that put our residents’ lives at risk, and preempted local governments from enacting effective pharmaceutical producer responsibility laws. The New York Product Stewardship Council, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and dozens of other groups across the state strongly urged the Governor to veto A.387-B/S.6750 and instead propose an effective program funded by drug producers in his 2018 Executive Budget Bill. View the Governor’s veto memo here.

Tell Governor Cuomo to Include Paint Stewardship in his 2018 Executive Budget Bill
Last month, NYPSC submitted a letter on behalf of six statewide recycling/waste management organizations urging Governor Cuomo to include the paint stewardship bill (S.881/A.1038) in his 2018 Executive Budget Bill. The letter was submitted on behalf the Solid Waste Association of North America, New York Chapter; New York State Association for Solid Waste Management; New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling; Federation of NY Solid Waste Associations; and the Product Stewardship Institute. If passed, paint stewardship legislation would require paint manufacturers to finance and safely manage the collection of leftover paint, relieving municipalities of this burden.

Please send your own letter of support to Governor Cuomo, urging him to include the paint stewardship bill (S.881/A.1038) in his 2018 Executive Budget Bill. You are welcome to borrow language from our letter. For greatest impact, please send your letter by January 5, 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter. For more information on paint stewardship and how you can help, visit the NYPSC website.

Over 200 Industry Professionals Inspired at the 2017 New York Textiles Summit
To address the growing problem of textile waste – upstream AND downstream – New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC), the Re-Clothe NY Coalition, New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, the Council for Textile Recycling, and Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) hosted over 200 retailers, brand owners, recyclers, collectors, governments, researchers, and non-profits at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Highlights included:

  • Tricia Carey from Lenzing Fibers emphasized that, although smaller companies might not have large marketing budgets, they are making sizeable strides in sustainability on par with larger companies.
  • Dan Rain, Town of Bethlehem Recycling Coordinator and NYSAR Board Member, underscored the need for more locations where consumers can conveniently take their unwanted textiles.
  • Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, and Goodwill Industries shared how retailers can effectively and conveniently take back used clothing at retail stores.
  • Evrnu discussed their innovative technology that takes collected textile fibers, converts them into a liquid, and transforms it into a new pure fiber that can take on the characteristics a designer needs.
  • I:CO relayed how retailers can lead circular economy efforts in textiles manufacturing by incorporating recycled content into their clothing.

The Summit concluded with a facilitated discussion among participants that highlighted key takeaways that helped develop a shared vision for moving forward. Overall, participants agreed that enhancing sustainability throughout the textile supply chain, including manufacturing, recovery, and reprocessing, are necessary in the face of the environmental impacts associated with “fast fashion.”

NYPSC and Product Stewardship Institute Launch USDA-funded Project to Expand Drug Take-Back
Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NYPSC and PSI recently launched an initiative to train local NY authorities to properly collect leftover pharmaceuticals, work with medical providers to educate patients about safe drug disposal, and establish new pharmacy-based drug take-back locations in rural communities. The project will culminate with an online educational Toolkit that medical professionals nationwide can use to educate themselves and their patients about proper medication disposal. At the end of the project, NYPSC and PSI will share results and lessons learned through a national webinar.

New York State News

New York State Department of Conservation (NYS DEC) Offers Grant to Assist Municipalities with E-Waste Recycling
NYS DEC offers a variety of state assistance grants for waste reduction, recycling, and household hazardous waste programs. Now through January 31, 2018, NYS DEC will accept grant applications to assist municipalities with the unanticipated costs of collecting and recycling electronic waste. Electronic Waste Assistance Grants (EWAG) will reimburse up to 50% of eligible actual expenses incurred from April 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.

This funding opportunity is helpful in the short term to make up for shortcomings in the statewide legislated electronics recycling program. However, manufacturer funding has fallen short of the need and local programs have been forced to either shut down or pay for recycling. A longer term fix – including effective regulations and, potentially, an amended state law – is needed to create a fully effective statewide electronics recycling program providing consumers yearlong drop-off at no charge.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Highlighted at New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Conference
On November 7-9, 2017, recycling professionals, decision makers, recycling coordinators, state and business representatives convened at the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling conference to discuss the impact of materials management on climate change. NYS DEC’s Peter Pettit moderated an extended producer responsibility (EPR) panel with NYPSC Board member Todd Ellis, PSI’s Vivian Fuhrman, and NYS DEC’s Katie Kidalowski. The panelists addressed the 2017 NYS alkaline battery bill (A.6280/S.1448), pharmaceutical recovery legislation (S.6750/A387-B), and e-waste regulations, respectively.

 

National Updates

Pennsylvania Senate Holds Hearing on Bill to Amend the State’s Electronics Extended Producer Responsibility Law
On October 24th, the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 800, which would amend and replace Pennsylvania’s 2010 Covered Device Recycling Act. During two hours of testimony, legislators heard from manufacturers, retailers, recyclers and local governments. If passed, the bill will require retailers to collect an eco-fee from the consumer at the point of purchase, which would provide much needed funding to expand access to electronics recycling in the state’s rural areas.

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Identifies Priority Packaging Items for Mandatory Policy
During a Packaging Reform Workshop on October 10th, CalRecycle staff members presented and solicited feedback on a comprehensive approach for managing packaging waste, including mandatory policy options, which were described in a 50-page background document. During the workshop, staff members also proposed six priority products — aseptic containers and cartons, expanded polystyrene, film plastic, pouches, uncoated corrugate, and waxed cardboard — that, if statutory authority were granted, would be among the first packaging products subject to mandatory policies. Despite opposition from some industry groups, CalRecycle used “contribution to marine debris” as part of the selection criteria.

In 2016, CalRecycle held a Manufacturers Challenge during which manufacturers and brand owners were asked to present voluntary plans that addressed specific criteria to assist in achieving the state’s 75 percent packaging diversion goal by 2020. CalRecycle ultimately deemed the responses did not address the Challenge in a meaningful way. Staff members were directed to develop potential mandatory policy options for managing packaging waste, including extended producer responsibility, pay-as-you-throw, beverage deposit law, recycled content standards, and other policies. Staff members will submit recommendations to the CalRecycle Director by February 2018.

Eleven State and Local Governments Suggest Changes to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Drug Take-Back Regulations
A group of state and local governments with drug take-back ordinances in California, Washington, and Vermont sent a letter asking the DEA to clarify its regulations and guidance regarding two issues: 1) products and dosage forms “prohibited” from commingled disposal and 2) placement of collection kiosks in hospitals. Eleven jurisdictions signed onto the letter. Clarification on these issues will make it easier for local governments nationwide to better serve their residents with effective drug take-back programs.

Chittenden County, Vermont is First in the Nation for Mercury Thermostat Collection
Chittenden County tops the charts for the greatest number of mercury thermostats collected between 2012 and 2016. Jennifer Holliday, Chittenden Solid Waste District’s Compliance Program and Product Stewardship Manager and PSI President, attributes the program’s success to high quality community outreach, convenient drop-off options, and outstanding public engagement by staff at collection facilities.

California Governor Signs Bill to Strengthen Carpet Stewardship Program
On October 14th, California Governor Edmund Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1158, which improves the 2010 extended producer responsibility (EPR) law by:

  • Setting a state goal to reach 24 percent recycling by 2020;
  • Requiring an increase in carpet collection location convenience and the expansion of markets for products made from post-consumer carpet;
  • Prohibiting CARE from using program funding to incinerate material, pay penalties, or litigate against the state; and
  • Creating a multi-stakeholder advisory committee to regularly review CARE’s program.

California was the first, and is still the only, jurisdiction in the U.S. with an EPR law for managing scrap carpet. The carpet industry sponsored the 2010 law to subsidize carpet recycling, but has since failed to achieve its modest goals.

 

Events, Webinars, and Conferences

  • FREE Webinar Recording | Pharmacy-Based Drug Take-Back: Fact and Fiction | Product Stewardship Institute | December 19, 2017 | Download Recording
  • Webinar | Solar Panel Stewardship: the Future is Now | Product Stewardship Institute | January 4, 2018 | Register
  • Strive For Sustainability Solid Waste & Recycling Conference | Federation of NY Solid Waste Associations | May 20-23, 2018 | Register (early bird rates open until April 17)

 

What We’re Reading