[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6227445,"mediaKeyId","3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee","parentId",3491436,"title","Product Stewardship Institute briefs Massachusetts EPR commission; panel agrees on product roadmap and subcommittees","audioSeconds",600,"startMs",2146000,"endMs",2746000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee&start=2146&end=2746","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee/thumbnail_2146000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6227445/Massachusetts/Product-Stewardship-Institute-briefs-Massachusetts-EPR-commission-panel-agrees-on-product-roadmap-and-subcommittees","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227445-f9add60d55ff3f6073d6f96b21d1fb92/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144451&Signature=OCmOP4O5Lyr93yVjHDqw2mAD3fhIebVx906ocxk7Wz3bxn0uXlnKgHsOTQhnhhV0oVsodAA9DGr3rCUAQDPRNKeywVPfc5DxMXKZaK8Ms8tC-vcDsLpyggImxvAssJA2VXipcdoxs2ROrf6nBy0ID4IZIZ4JY-sCdYGAmQ5M8NgahpVIWGpxZSI8lZUZrHag9~CpsilaKTd2oO3ykLf8ht2cCLfSQbYvUqtaf0nko-gBF73GBgW11q9E-L20DjKAUg6fI8E5XlxYFx8RFKpUFvhIt2x1WVc8xMKZmr9FK3Fm5I5aCmGqnpr5EQ1xCBpzNnSFGrconXz1aWL5n3tYmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MassDEP","date","2025-05-24T12:47:01.883Z","article","The Product Stewardship Institute's founder, Scott Cassell, told the Massachusetts EPR Commission that extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws shift financial and managerial responsibility for post-consumer products and packaging from governments to producers, and described elements that effective EPR laws commonly include.

\"EPR is a law that extends a producer's financial and managerial responsibility for its products and packaging beyond the manufacturing stage,\" Cassell said in a prepared overview of the policy model. He described full EPR as producer-funded and producer-managed systems that set performance goals, create stewardship plans, and establish producer responsibility organizations to implement collection, processing and end-market development.

Why it matters: the commission is charged by statute to develop recommendations for the Legislature; Cassell and MassDEP staff framed EPR as a tool to create sustainable funding for recycling and hazardous-product management, reduce contamination, and incentivize product and packaging design changes over time.

After presentations, commissioners discussed sequencing and workload. Members agreed on a proposed roadmap (motion passed): start with paint, then mattresses, lithium-ion batteries, electronics, and finish with plastics/packaging. Commissioners also voted to form subcommittees focused on the more complex categories (packaging and electronics) to allow deeper work in parallel with full-commission meetings; staff noted subcommittees must comply with Massachusetts open meeting laws and be publicly posted.

Commission staff described an iterative drafting process for product recommendations: staff will circulate draft language before meetings; the commission will use \"temperature checks\" and a numerical \"scale of agreement\" in meetings to indicate support and identify issues to resolve before finalizing recommendation language for public review and commission votes.

Members urged the commission to pursue both near-term, well-established programs (for example, paint and mattresses, which have multiple state models) and sustained work on more complex topics (packaging and plastics). Several members noted that existing bills and models from other states could be adopted or adapted and that the commission could recommend specific bills or endorse pending legislative language when appropriate.

Public commenters asked that meeting materials, member lists and packets be posted online ahead of meetings and that the commission include clear enforcement and accountability mechanisms in its recommendations. Staff said they would post materials, publish pending bills for review and coordinate commission work with the Solid Waste Master Plan update.

The commission set its next meeting to begin work on paint and instructed staff to circulate related bills and program materials in advance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Extended Producer Responsibility Commission, Meeting 1, April 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Scott Cassell of the Product Stewardship Institute gave an overview of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the commission agreed on a working roadmap prioritizing paint, mattresses, lithium-ion batteries, electronics and plastics/packaging, and to form subcommittees for the more complex categories.","taxTitle","Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Executive , Massachusetts","taxId",24971,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227449,"MassDEP presents disposal trends and capacity limits as EPR commission begins work",343,1687000,2030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee&start=1687&end=2030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee/thumbnail_1687000.jpg","/articles/6227449/Massachusetts/MassDEP-presents-disposal-trends-and-capacity-limits-as-EPR-commission-begins-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227449-92422d64dec90003311168d47e50c1dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144451&Signature=RFveP8nTxiqyL14r7MdR5IrLCUjVzMTI8DBBk4nX6kcM~tTHkxuVPD6Y4f7lyRPh-8eu9zZCDlcFN7AUqDlNW13ukz~hD-6eI6XRddanB0GAjbB~yOaUsMYzW7GQBdqoqklLTnWenu-MGACjNuw~0Bwqm2as4-PoqxTohKsGWfdDu0~XsgaWL8ox3QBlUWRgiyqagu9bHaGn53OSOYf9xwlYVTzqK0k0RkNBU28931sCRvSMFCPMMrk-Syt4R8CQtWE7Jsndi3-pr2bhpH7~oG6kpTbny7RYTklNgIUGJXvgi6CzYJQOR0N0KPCdJGa~UB1UuM6CFdnBO7AqVIAqZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection officials told the state's new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Commission that the commonwealth faces constrained solid-waste management capacity and rising costs, and that EPR policies could help meet the state's disposal-reduction goals.

John (presenting MassDEP data) described the state's targets: a reduction of 1,700,000 tons of disposal by 2030 and 5,000,000 tons by 2050, using a 2018 baseline of about 5,700,000 tons. He told the commission that, based on 2023 data, Massachusetts disposed of about 6,200,000 tons overall, with roughly 4,720,000 tons classed as municipal solid waste and about 1,500,000 tons as construction and demolition debris.

MassDEP staff said about 3,000,000 tons of municipal solid waste are processed at in-state waste-to-energy facilities, about 400,000 tons go to in-state landfills, and on a net basis roughly 1,300,000 tons were exported to out-of-state disposal facilities. The department cautioned that Massachusetts and the broader Northeastern region have limited disposal and recycling infrastructure and that this constraint affects costs.

MassDEP presented recent cost trends reported by municipalities: from 2021 to 2024, disposal per-ton costs rose about 18 percent and recycling processing costs rose about 18 percent, while programs that manage hazardous household products reported cost increases in the range of 30 to 60 percent.

Why it matters: the commission is charged with recommending extended producer responsibility approaches for specific product categories; MassDEP framed those recommendations within broader state disposal and recycling objectives. Department staff emphasized the connection between EPR and the department's Solid Waste Master Plan.

MassDEP staff also noted that municipal recycling programs are fragmented across dozens of municipalities and that cross-border flows of waste significantly affect in-state management capacity.

The department said the commission's work should be coordinated with the ongoing Solid Waste Master Plan midterm review, which addresses toxics, market development, reuse and other topics; staff indicated the master-plan update is the appropriate venue for regulatory and programmatic items outside the commission's legislative recommendation role.

The department provided the commission with datasets and told members those materials would be shared after the meeting.","MassDEP told the EPR commission that Massachusetts disposes more trash now than in 2018, faces limited in-state capacity and rising processing costs, and has disposal-reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 that the commission's recommendations could help meet.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227454,"Mass. EPR commission adopts bylaws, approves hybrid meeting policy and tables guidelines",0,1055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee&start=1055&end=1055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3491436-dff564dfd81f07f44130b9d909453aee/thumbnail_1055000.jpg","/articles/6227454/Massachusetts/Mass-EPR-commission-adopts-bylaws-approves-hybrid-meeting-policy-and-tables-guidelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227454-ab122ad72667afe02c6aafdf0eaaae34/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144451&Signature=m7YUf7Dpu6cWeCfX8CiAYvHpchJOFu8haX7b2HV7VEancKt8hBBhKtMeXdeqBgtpQR~~mjvcaaCqAuBiwNfox7-yrAa1bS0-Cs8XGkllD0zl7gwNhuhWF6mE8rGZ2zvbfg-CKRTN0vI8E33oTy3xLzYyUq8LjL5LfTt28i16DS7zSCFhxSd3gXqSUCbGXB24n9lTA-8IqKzEQXoJ~0SfS0d6CcCN0bx7uz0IswWbihmdgaUSgc3UIxC~X7ApylYMj4-fvvexe0zdYp~~2tN1Oy0RW5fhE~OyUfiKz0PmKdQrS6KXqmwT9uHeBbulvffywoxFkR60UBChfmlRa~f19A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Massachusetts Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Commission voted to adopt its bylaws and to approve a remote participation policy at its inaugural meeting on Oct. 6, while delaying action on the commission's proposed meeting guidelines.

The vote to adopt the EPR commission bylaws carried after a motion and second; commission chair John Bealink, deputy commissioner for policy and planning at MASA ADP and chair of the EPR Commission, called for the vote and declared the bylaws passed. The commission then considered a separate set of guidelines; several members, including Representative Day and Senator Barrett, said parts of the guidelines were too restrictive and asked to revise language that limited returning to previous topics and imposed three-minute time limits on discussion. Commissioners agreed to table the guidelines and bring a revised version to the next meeting.

The commission also voted to adopt a remote participation policy that permits hybrid meetings. During discussion Senator Barrett said hybrid formats increase participation by members who travel or represent distant areas, while other members argued in-person meetings yield higher-quality, interactive dialogue. After discussion the commission approved the policy by voice vote.

Why it matters: the bylaws and the remote participation policy set the procedural rules that will govern how the commission meets, how members communicate, and how public participation is handled. Commissioners and staff emphasized adherence to Massachusetts public meeting laws and indicated that how the commission structures meetings will affect its ability to deliberate on product-specific recommendations that are due as \"initial recommendations and related findings\" by Jan. 15, 2026.

Members also discussed two statutory vacancies on the commission: seats reserved for statewide environmental justice organizations. John Bealink said staff have reached out to groups and urged anyone with suggestions for nominees to contact MassDEP.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly cautioned members about open meeting law restrictions. Julie McNeil, counsel to the Solid Waste Program at MassDEP, told members that communications among commissioners can constitute deliberation if they reach a quorum and said, \"you just have to just be very careful about not reaching that quorum.\" She said the commission currently has 19 members and that a simple majority is 10.

The meeting packet and public materials will be posted online; staff said the guidelines would be revised and circulated before the next meeting. The commission also asked staff to return a revised guidelines draft for the next convening and confirmed that subcommittee meetings, if formed, will be subject to open meeting requirements and posted for public participation.

The commission planned its next steps: finalize bylaws- and meeting-procedure housekeeping, set up subcommittees where appropriate, and begin product-focused work on paint at the next meeting.

The commission's actions are procedural; no statutory authority beyond the EPR commission's enabling language was created by these votes. Expect further procedural clarifications and a revised guidelines packet at the next scheduled meeting.","The state's newly convened Extended Producer Responsibility Commission adopted its bylaws and a remote participation policy at its first meeting, but tabled proposed guidelines after members raised concerns about rules limiting discussion and return to prior topics.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Product Stewardship Institute briefs Massachusetts EPR commission; panel agrees on product roadmap and subcommittees

MassDEP presents disposal trends and capacity limits as EPR commission begins work

Mass. EPR commission adopts bylaws, approves hybrid meeting policy and tables guidelines