Extended Producer Responsibility and Stewardship

EPR Fact Sheet

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

A collaborative approach for business flexibility and streamlined government to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Protecting our natural resources and environment.

What is EPR?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a means for California to go beyond everyday recycling and waste reduction by creating a connection between a product's creation and its eventual disposal. This important economic link provides producers with an incentive to give greater thought to how they manufacture and package products, taking responsibility for their products from beginning to end to decrease the volume of products and packaging that ends up in landfills.

Why Do We Need EPR?

Managing waste--especially products that are hazardous and toxic--is very costly for local governments. California's local governments and ratepayers, spend upwards of $500 million annually to manage products banned from landfills as well as those headed to a landfill, buried forever!

Waste generation over the years has grown with population and economic growth. While California has made enormous advances in recycling, today we throw away about the same amount of trash as 20 years ago! Innovative product design and packaging will lead to less waste generation and more easily recycled products that support a healthy environment and alleviate costs.

What Does This Mean For California?

Supports California's Economy

EPR increases recycling. Recycling a ton of "waste" has twice the economic impact of burying it in the ground! Each year, recycling provides an average of 85,000 jobs, $4 billion in salaries and wages, and $10 billion in goods and services.

Streamlines Government

California's framework approach, where producers lead the process, addresses EPR with low government administrative costs. Additionally, the Statewide program relieves businesses from having to comply with a varying patchwork of statutes and local government ordinances that are implemented in response to rising disposal costs.

Reaps Environmental Benefits

Changing product and packaging design and using materials more effectively results in:

• Increased recycling.
• Reduced greenhouse gas and other air emissions.
• Reduced toxic product components.
• Increased energy efficiency.

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