Proposed RI Law Would Place Plastic Waste Burden On Producers

PROVIDENCE, RI — As plastic packaging becomes more and more avoidable in everyday life, one Rhode Island lawmaker is hoping to shift some of the financial burden of processing all that waste back to the consumer.

David Bennett, the chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, introduced a bill that would encourage producers to move to less wasteful, recyclable alternatives to excessive plastic that must go in the trash. If approved, the law would charge manufacturers a fee for disposal, reducing the strain on cities and towns.

"There is a lot of wasteful, nonrecyclable packaging out there that winds up in our landfill or contaminating our recycling loads. And it’s just crazy that it’s our overburdened cities and towns – who have absolutely no control over the choice to create that packaging or purchase the products that come in it – who pay for its disposal in their tipping fees at the landfill," Bennet explained.

According to Bennett, nonrecyclable packaging makes up about 16 percent of the trash that ends up at the state landfill, which is set to reach capacity by 2034.

"Consumers have some power in their purchasing choices, but ultimately, it’s the companies selling those products who have the real control, because they choose that packaging," he continued. "They must stop burdening our communities and our planet with this much single-use garbage, and this bill is a way to finally hold their feet to the fire."

The bill would create a "producer responsibility program." All companies selling packaged goods in the state would be forced to take part. The program would encourage less wasteful packaging practices and set fees based on the weight and type of packaging used for goods sold in the state.

The fees would be collected by a nonprofit organization, with the fund used for projects that helpd reduce packaging waste. These could include reuse and refill systems, recycling infrastructure, and reuse, refill, and recycling education in the state as well as reimbursing cities and towns for disposal fees.

The system would be similar to the already established PaintCare program, which requires manufacturers to accept and recycle unused paint products, as well as Rhode Island's mattress recycling program.

"Corporations use wasteful packaging because a lot of it, particularly clear plastic, allows consumers to see the product. It’s enticing," Bennett said. "But when you get it home, that packaging is often annoyingly hard to open, on top of being wasteful. And even if they may not realize it, consumers are paying for its disposal because they are taxpayers. I think consumers would really welcome a shift toward less elaborate, wasteful packaging."