Description
The growing climate impact and financial cost of increasing waste from materials from products and packaging requires a new approach that shifts the burden of recycling and disposal from residents and local governments to producers. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that shifts the responsibility for end-of-use management of products and packaging from local governments to producers. EPR requires companies to fund and manage the recovery, reuse, and recycling of their own products and packaging. These programs provide residents and businesses convenient alternatives to disposal at no costs and are effective at recovering materials from the waste stream. King County will pursue new statewide EPR policies for high-impact product categories such as: packaging and paper products, mattresses, sharps, tires, textiles, etc. The County will also work with new and established EPR programs to ensure successful implementation that benefits King County businesses, communities, and residents.