July 2023

Let Ecology know what you think of LightRecycle

The Department of Ecology is conducting surveys regarding your satisfaction with the LightRecycle Washington Program and the availability of energy efficient lighting. Please take these short surveys and complete your responses by July 31, 2023.

Ecology Energy Efficient Lighting Survey

LightRecycle Washington Satisfaction Survey 2023

Programs & News

Oregon E-Cycles Modernization Amendment Enacted into Law
On July 13th, Oregon’s Governor, Tina Kotek, signed into law an amendment to Oregon’s electronics EPR program, E-Cycles, that improves the program. Initially passed in 2009, Oregon’s E-Cycles program was one of the first EPR programs in the U.S., diverting over 268 million pounds of scrap metal from landfills since its inception. The amendment makes several key upgrades to the program including: expanding the list of covered materials, creates robust convenience standards, and eliminates the State Contractor Program. Read more.

Washington E-Cycle 2022 Annual Report – Room for Improvement?
Washington’s electronics recycling program, E-Cycle Washington, completed its fourteenth year of operations in 2022 and is preparing to submit a new 5-year program plan for approval by the Department of Ecology. Funded by manufacturers to carry out their obligations under Washington’s electronics recycling law, E-Cycle Washington provides a statewide network of collection sites and collection events where Washington residents, small businesses, and others can drop off covered electronic devices (TVs, monitors, computers, tablets, and e-readers) for recycling for free. 

E-Cycle Washington has collected more than 453 million pounds of electronics since it began operations on January 1, 2009, but in recent years there has been an increasing amount of electronic products covered by the program going to landfills. This may be due to the program becoming less convenient. Access to collection sites under the program has decreased substantially over the past five years. Statewide, the program has lost more than one-quarter of collection sites over the last program plan implementation period, dropping from 324 program collection sites at the end of the last program plan (2018) to 236 sites as of last year (2022). See the Annual Report here.   

CalRecycle Names its First Packaging EPR Advisory Board
On June 30th, 2023, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) announced the appointment of their producer responsibility advisory board, per California’s EPR for Packaging Law (SB 54). The 16-person advisory board is tasked with providing feedback on the implementation of SB 54, reviewing stewardship plans, and helping identify barriers and solutions to achieving a circular economy in California. Advisory board appointees include members representing the materials recovery value chain, such as Timothy Burroughs of Alameda County’s StopWaste, packaging producers, such as Wes Carter of Atlantic Packaging Corp., and environmental groups, such as Doug Kobold of the California Product Stewardship Council. Read more.

Associate Member Pledge 

NWPSC Associate Member Pledge has been updated – Please Confirm the Pledge here.
Associate members are local, state, regional, and federal government agencies, and non-profit organizations that support the NWPSC mission and product stewardship principles. The Pledge signals your support for NWPSC’s mission and that you want to be in the inner circle of information regarding NWPSC’s work. If you haven’t signed the NWPSC Associate Member Pledge yet, please do so now.

Events & Webinars

• Resource Recycling Conference: August 14 – 16 in Orlando, FL
• NWPSC Annual Retreat, September 11 in Portland, OR and virtually
• U.S. Product Stewardship Forum: September 11 – 14 in Portland, OR 
• Sustainable Oregon 2023: October 9-11 in Gleneden Beach, OR. The annual Association of Oregon Recyclers (AOR) conference is an opportunity for colleagues in the recycling, waste prevention and sustainable materials management industries to connect about ideas, learn what’s on the horizon, and be inspired. Call for session proposals due June 2, 2023.2023 
• Product Stewardship Society Annual Conference: October 17-19 in Boston, MA

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 and read our past newsletters. 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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