March 2017

Legislation

Paint and Medicine stewardship bills in Washington state:
both dead this session but likely to be taken up again in 2018, the second year of the biennium

• HB 1376 concerning paint stewardship passed the House Environment Committee on Feb. 14 and Appropriations Feb. 22 but did not move to a floor vote prior to the cut-off date
• HB 1047 protecting the public's health by creating a system for safe and secure collection and disposal of unwanted medications passed the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 15 and Appropriations Feb. 21 but did not move to a floor vote prior to the cut-off date

HHW and Medicine stewardship bills in Oregon (session is Feb. 1 to July 9)

• SB 199 relating to household hazardous waste (HHW) was heard Feb. 16 in the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; its companion HB 3105 has not yet been heard
• HB 2386 relating to drugs was heard March 6 in the House Committee on Health Care

News & Resources

Job: Assistant Director of the California Product Stewardship Council
The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) is hiring an Assistant Director (PDF) in the greater Sacramento, CA area. The position is open until filled.

Battery recycling event in Tacoma March 30
The Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) is hosting a March 30 workshop in Tacoma, WA (All Charged Up: Exploring Battery Recycling) on everything about batteries: how they are recycled, what happens to components, stewardship programs, battery recycling in Vermont, Canada and Europe, legislation, the economics of recycling, the toxicity of various chemistries, and planning for the future of alkaline battery recycling in Washington and what it will take to make that a reality! Register today.
You can also watch a free recording of the Product Stewardship Institute's (PSI) March 2 battery take back webinar on strategies for rural communities to increase both rechargeable and single-use battery recycling.

Revised California Carpet Stewardship Plan under review
In a December 2016 public meeting, CalRecycle rejected the carpet industry's stewardship plan. Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) submitted their Revised California Carpet Stewardship Plan (2017-2021) on Feb. 20, 2017 and CalRecycle will be considering CARE’s Revised Plan at an April 18 public meeting.

New Plastics Economy initiative
The New Plastics Economy, an initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, launched in London in May 2016. According to Recycling Today, the "three-year initiative has been designed to develop a plastics system that works... to apply the principles of the circular economy; bring together key stakeholders to rethink and redesign the future of plastics, starting with packaging; and work to develop new strategies to increase recycling rates and introduce new models for making better use of packaging." Some of the initiative's partners include NatureWorks, The New York City Economic Development Corp., TerraCycle, The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, MARS, and Unilever. Watch The New Plastics Economy's introductory video on Vimeo.

Upcoming Events

• ReFuel Your Fun: how to promote refillable 1 lb. propane cylinders (webinar): March 16, 10-11:30am Pacific
• Workshop on Developing Packaging Reform in California: March 22, 9:30am-4:30pm Pacific, Sacramento, CA
• Intro to Life-Cycle Analysis for Sustainable Materials Management (webinar): March 23, 11am-12:30pm Pacific
• All charged up: battery recycling (WSRA): March 30, 9:30am-2:30pm, Tacoma, WA

Engage with the Northwest Product Stewardship Council
Add your voice and join the Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC) as an Associate, Steering, or Community member.
Follow the NWPSC on Twitter (@StewardshipNW) for product stewardship information from Washington, Oregon and elsewhere.

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The Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC) is a coalition of government agencies in Washington and Oregon working on solid waste, recycling, resource conservation, environmental protection, public health and other issues. Together with non-government agencies, businesses and individuals, we form a network that supports product stewardship and extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies and programs. For more information, contact info@productstewardship.net or visit us at www.ProductStewardship.net.

Subscribe to the NWPSC Newsletter. For current subscribers: update your email, password, or unsubscribe on the Subscriber Preferences Page (you will need to use your email address to log in). If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.

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