Product Stewardship & Extended Producer Responsibility
Product stewardship is an approach to minimize the health, safety, environmental, and social impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle. While producers/manufacturers of products have the greatest ability to minimize adverse impacts, other stakeholders, including, but not limited to, suppliers, distributors, retailers, haulers, recyclers, and consumers, also play an important role. Product stewardship can be either voluntary or mandated by law.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a mandatory or legislated form of product stewardship that places the primary financial and managerial responsibility for the environmentally responsible end-of-life management of a product on its producer/manufacturer. EPR policy shifts the burden away from municipalities and taxpayers to those putting products into the market, and often provides incentives to manufacturers to incorporate environmental considerations into the design of their products and packaging.
NYS Extended Producer Responsibility Laws
- Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act (2010)
- Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law (2010)
- Mercury Thermostat Collection Act (2013)
- Drug Take Back Act (2018) - link leaves DEC's website
- Carpet Collection Program Law (2024)
NYS Product Stewardship Programs
- Returnable Container Act (1982)
- Lead-acid Battery Recycling Law (1990)
- Waste Tire Management and Recycling Act (2003)
- Wireless Telephone Recycling Act (2007)
- Postconsumer Paint Collection Program (2019)
- Plastic Bag and Film Recycling (2020)
DMM, Bureau of Waste Reduction and Recycling
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233