California city supports extended producer responsibility

July 30 -- Roseville, Calif., has become the 100th jurisdiction in California to adopt a resolution in support of extended producer responsibility, a government framework meant to shift the responsibility for certain end-of-live products that could contain hazardous material back onto the manufacturer.

"The State and Federal governments have been mandating local governments to prohibit certain products from being dumped in our landfills," said Roseville City Councilmember John Allard. "Unfortunately it´s an unfunded mandate and results in huge expenses that have to be absorbed by our rate payers. What we´re trying to do is hold the manufacturer responsible for producing materials in such a way that they have a greater degree of reusability and recyclability to minimize the disposal costs and the effect on rates," he said.

Officials said stronger EPR laws would stimulate more aggressive markets for recycling and recycled products, pointing to a new carpet recycling facility that opened in Placer County, Calif., in response, officials said, to EPR laws affecting carpet.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com