CHPR
The Coalition for High Performance Recycling (CHPR) is a diverse group of consumer brands, environmental nonprofits, material manufacturers, packaging suppliers, and trade associations united in our mission to improve recycling systems across the country. A list of our members is on our website: chprecycling.org
Recommendations for Policymakers Developing Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging Policies:
The current recycling system is failing to deliver the necessary supply of recyclable materials to meet public and private sector goals or government recycling targets. CHPR’s comprehensive policy proposal draws on documented global best practices from the best and highest-performing recycling systems, leveraging both Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for paper and packaging and Recycling Refund policies (also known as bottle bills or deposit return systems). This integrated approach significantly enhances both the quantity and quality of domestic recyclable material while prioritizing convenience, efficiency, and effectiveness.
1. Adopt Comprehensive EPR - Pairing EPR with a Recycling Refund Program:
CHPR’s primary recommendation is to pursue comprehensive EPR that includes a complementary Recycling Refund program for beverage containers. Without Recycling Refunds, EPR focuses on curbside recycling only. In contrast, comprehensive EPR pairs curbside recycling with Recycling Refunds that incentivize consumers to return beverage containers for recycle/reuse whether at home or on the go. Ten U.S. states already operate Recycling Refund programs and they can reduce beverage container litter by up to 84 percent and achieve return rates over 90 percent (versus a 34 percent national beverage container recycling rate). A Recycling Refund program can also deliver a reliable domestic supply of clean and high-quality materials that can be used to manufacture new beverage containers; in contrast, EPR for curbside alone will not enable beverage container circularity at scale because curbside recycling results in unacceptable levels of contamination of many collected materials.
2. Empower Industry-Led, Non-Profit PROs to Achieve Robust Performance Targets:
Programs should be managed by not-for-profit Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). These PROs should give producers the flexibility and authority to design and operate systems capable of meeting ambitious yet achievable performance standards that are set in legislation. This approach enables industry expertise to drive program design and continuous improvement while ensuring accountability to clear, enforceable targets.
3. Provide Multiple Convenient Return Options to Maximize Program Effectiveness:
Programs should include multiple return options for both packaging and beverage containers, facilitating coordination between systems to maximize convenience, cost efficiency, and program effectiveness without raising costs or taxes.
For more information, please consider these external resources available in the Public Facing Statements & Resources Section:
1. Reloop : Littered with Evidence