Sacramento, Calif. — An international movement to improve product design by changing how recycling and waste disposal are financed is gaining momentum in North America. The movement, known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or Product Stewardship, picked up speed as California and Oregon recently introduced “framework” EPR legislation, and more states are expected to follow suit. Additionally, last week Canada announced a nationwide framework EPR policy.

EPR policies internalize product life-cycle impacts into product prices to generate green jobs and unleash the creativity of businesses to design and provide “cradle-to-cradle” product management. The framework approach allows one law to establish EPR as policy and gives state government the authority to address multiple products over time. Several provinces in Canada, including British Columbia, already have Framework EPR regulations in place.

“California, Oregon and Canada are trailblazers in establishing comprehensive EPR legislation,” said Bill Sheehan, executive director of the Product Policy Institute, which aided in harmonizing the final framework principles. “These laws will relieve the financial burden on local governments of managing difficult and toxic products and will stimulate manufacturers to design better products.”

Visit www.productpolicy.org for more information.