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EPR commission urges producer responsibility for paint, batteries, mattresses and electronics; packaging needs more study
Summary
MassDEP's EPR Commission recommended Massachusetts adopt Extended Producer Responsibility programs for paint, mattresses, rechargeable batteries and electronics, while advising a funded needs assessment before moving on plastics and other packaging.
"I'm Greg Cooper, the director of hazardous and solid waste here at D," said Greg Cooper as he opened his summary of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Commission's work.
Cooper told the Solid Waste Advisory Committee the commission, created by the legislature in late 2024, met seven times with broad stakeholder representation and produced recommendations covering paint, mattresses, batteries, electronics and packaging. The commission recommended majority support for a paint EPR program modeled on existing PaintCare operations in other states and recommended mattress EPR following models used in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
On batteries, the commission made a unanimous recommendation for a rechargeable-battery EPR program, citing public-safety concerns including fires tied to improperly handled lithium-ion batteries and gaps in resident access. Cooper said roughly 17% of residents lack regular access to battery recycling services beyond retail take-back options.
For electronics, the commission endorsed legislative action to establish an electronics EPR program but noted multiple design approaches exist and urged legislators to consider how to integrate municipal collection networks into any new system. "These are important to consider because Massachusetts has a lot of municipal collection activities that should be coordinated with an EPR approach," Cooper said.
Packaging and plastics drew more divided views. The commission recommended further study and a legislatively funded needs assessment before recommending an EPR program for printed paper and packaging; committee members urged that a robust cost-benefit and infrastructure analysis be completed prior to committing to a packaging EPR model.
Cooper said the commission published findings and made them available to legislative committees and on MassDEP's website; he emphasized that the commission did not endorse specific bills but relayed options, models and the commission's policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider.
The department and stakeholders will continue engagement with the legislature as bills move through committee and amendment processes.
