Advocacy Strategy

At the community level, municipalities are feeling the financial impacts of waste management as costs continue to rise significantly.  China’s import restrictions on recycling have caused increased awareness around waste diversion issues and costs.  EPR laws are a proven solution long overdue in Massachusetts.  Neighboring states such as Maine have embraced EPR programs to alleviate cost burdens to municipal governments.  MassPSC is committed to getting EPR bills passed in Massachusetts

MassPSC will focus its limited resources on:

1. Legislation and Advocacy
   MassPSC will support well-written EPR legislation and policies at the state level.
2. Education and Collaboration

• • Presentations to elected officials and other decision makers
  • Legislative meetings to inform legislators of MassPSC’s priority materials
  • Podcasts
  • Email blasts
  • MassPSC bi-monthly calls

Take Action

One of the most effective ways that municipalities can voice their support for extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws is to pass a resolution. Both the Massachusetts Municipal Association and state legislators pay attention to resolutions that municipalities pass. If you would like to pass a resolution to support EPR in your municipality, see this Municipal EPR Resolution Template. See here for the City of Newton’s Resolution from 2021. If your community passed a resolution or need assistance, contact us at admin@massrecycle.org.

Another important step to advocate for EPR laws is for municipalities, nonprofits, or other entities to sign on to the Endorsement of Massachusetts Product Stewardship Legislation form. By signing on, it allows MassPSC to aggregate statewide support for types of legislation and write letters of support for legislation that members or advocates would like Massachusetts legislators to support.

Lastly, when bills reach the State House, we recommend personal testimony (written or verbal) to be submitted to the Committee responsible for waste-related bills. If you’re unsure when that will occur, email us to join the MassPSC. See here for 2023-2024 Template for Municipal Testimony.

Resources

Paint Fact Sheet  

Mattress Fact Sheet

Packaging & Printed Paper Fact Sheet

Leadership

MassPSC was established in 2010 and led by Lynne Pledger (Clean Water Action) and Claire Galkowski (South Shore Recycling Cooperative).  In 2016, MassPSC was incorporated into MassRecycle’s organizational structure.  The officers of MassPSC are MassRecycle Directors and are appointed to be MassPSC officers.

Officers

Chair, Waneta Trabert, City of Newton
Vice Chair, Michael Orr, City of Cambridge
Rob Gogan, Harvard University Recycling emeritus
Robin Ingenthron, Good Point Recycling
Sharon Byrne Kishida, formerly MassDEP (non-voting)
Josie Ahlberg, MA Municipal Association (non-voting
Claire Galkowski, South Shore Recycling Cooperative (non-voting)
Phil Goddard, Town of Bourne (non-voting)

Purpose

MassPSC supports and advocates for product stewardship.  Currently, MassPSC’s is focused on advancing extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.   The Product Stewardship Institute defines EPR as:

“A mandatory type of product stewardship that includes, at a minimum, the requirement that the manufacturer’s responsibility for its product extends to post-consumer management of that product and its packaging.  There are two related features of EPR policy: (1) shifting financial and management responsibility, with government oversight, upstream to the manufacturer and away from the public sector; and (2) providing incentives to manufacturers to incorporate environmental considerations into the design of their products and packaging.”

Manufacturers can engage in EPR in many ways: common forms of EPR include reuse, buyback, and recycling programs.  Currently, over 130 EPR laws are in effect in the US. Read more about EPR on the Product Stewardship Institute’s website.  MassPSC accomplishes its goal of expanding EPR among Massachusetts manufacturers by sponsoring legislation and educating stakeholders.

MassPSC focuses its efforts on several products of concern for municipalities that manage these materials at every increasing expense.  These include paint, mattresses, electronics, and packaging.  Through this work, MassPSC collaborates with many partners:

• American Coatings Association (ACA)
• International Sleep Products Association
• Product Stewardship Institute
• Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association
• Massachusetts Municipal Association
• Solid Waste Association of North America, Southern New England Chapter
• Environmental Business Council of New England
• National Stewardship Action Council

Priority Materials

Paint

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, MassPSC is following this bill:

• H.823, S.551, An act relative to paint recycling (Haddad, O’Connor)

• S.542, An act establishing safe paint stewardship (Moran) – substantially identical to the above bills

Mattresses

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, MassPSC is following:

• H.881, An act to establish a Mattress recycling program (Philips)

• H.916, S.513, An act to assess the future of mattress recycling (Vargas/Domb, Kennedy/Howard)- includes social enterprise fund

Packaging & Printed Paper (PPP)

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, MassPSC is following these bills:

• S.471, An act to reduce waste and recycling costs (DiDomenico)

• H.779, An act to save recycling costs (Day) – alternative packaging bill

Mercury Bulb Phase Out

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, MassPSC is following this bill:

• H.777, An act relative to clean lighting (Cutler)

• S.538, An act relative to clean lighting (Moran)

Electronics

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, MassPSC is following this bill:

• H.871, S.554, An Act to require producer responsibility for collection, reuse and recycling of discarded electronic products (Owens, Oliveira)

Others

In the 2023-2024 legislative session, MassPSC is following this bill:

• H.833, An act establishing the commission on extended producer responsibility (Jones)