“Voluntary Packaging Reduction has never fixed the problem"
So replied, a solid waste colleague when discussing my participation in the 1994 CONEG Challenge and packaging solid waste history.
CONEG was the Coalition of Northeastern Governors that included Maine, NH, VT, RI, MA, CT and NY.
In 1992 CONEG created the Packaging Source Reduction Council (PSRC) after drafting the original Toxics in Packaging legislation that 19 U.S. States have since adopted.
The PSRC created the CONEG Challenge in 1992 with the goal of reducing packaging waste by 50% by 2000. Over 200 companies were invited to participate in the first Challenge, a voluntary effort, with only 29 signing up.
I was a member of the PSRC from 1992-1993. My company along with 47 other companies volunteered to take a leadership role in reducing packaging waste by taking the 1994 CONEG Challenge. Other participants included leading companies such as General Motors, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, and Coors Brewing.
The PSRC taught us the basic principles of Sustainable Packaging utilizing CONEG’s Preferred Packaging Guidelines to eliminate or minimize, design to refill or reuse, create with recycled content or be recyclable. The same guiding principles that are the basis for every Sustainable Packaging initiative over the past 30 years.
My colleague’s comment confirmed one of the reasons we have and need Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation today. Throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s companies were asked to voluntarily reduce or face mandated EPR legislation. The same type of legislation that was being introduced in Europe at the time.
Those of us who worked on the PSRC committee were hopeful that EPR legislation would not be needed. However, over the past 30 years, unprecedented consumer demand has driven producer production, which has driven the need for packaging which, once discarded has overloaded a waste and recycling system infrastructure that could not keep up with today’s modern packaging.
30 years later and EPR legislation has passed in 4 states, the first one ironically being Maine, one of the CONEG states and the others being Colorado, California, and Oregon. Legislation has been introduced in many others including Tennessee.
As a member of the Reimagine Packaging Tennessee coalition that's created draft EPR legislation for TN, and a packaging professional for over 40 years, I finally see light at the end of tunnel.
After 30 years of overflowing landfills, liter in our streets, and watching the packaging industry on its heels from criticism by environmental and government entitles, I have confidence that we can all come together. With the increased funding EPR provides to the recycling infrastructure, we can build markets for more recycled materials & finally solve these issues. I hope you & your companies support it.
It’s not to be feared or ignored, it’s the best solution we have to help fix the problem.
For additional information on EPR - Please visit the Reimagine Packaging Tennessee website