University of Georgia Circularity Informatics Lab

The UGA Circularity Informatics Lab is a research group that studies circular economy at the community level, with a focus on actionable data to reduce plastic pollution. Our Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) is a collaborative baselining tool that includes empirical data collection in stores on product packaging, material design, and available alternatives, as well as data collection on escaped trash in the environment. CAP has been conducted in more than 16 countries around the world, including more than 20 US cities.

Recommendations for Policymakers Developing Circular Policy & EPR for Packaging Policies:

1. EPR legislation should include long-term monitoring programs to assess impacts of EPR on environmental metrics, including chronic leakage of consumer plastics in communities and in aquatic ecosystems. Monitoring programs can draw on existing methods like randomized transects, benefit from free tools to record data like Debris Tracker or Clean Sweep, and leverage existing networks in each state, such as Riverkeeper organizations. Optimally, regulatory goals would be adjusted based on findings of these studies. For example, problematic and commonly littered items may require more resources towards interventions in the EPR system.
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2. In addition to goals mandating collection of a certain percentage of recyclable material, EPR programs should include geographically-specific goals for collection coverage that scale up over time. While recycling is universally desired, rural areas often lack access to infrastructure such as drop-off centers for recyclables, though communities often show dedication to recycling when made available. Because waste is often concentrated in urban centers and collecting recyclables in cities is therefore more efficient, rural areas may be left behind by EPR programs that mandate an overall state-wide collection percentage alone.
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3. EPR programs should create financial mechanisms to invest in infrastructure for alternatives to single-use plastics and alternative product delivery systems, including compostable packaging and returnable packaging or reuse systems. Needed infrastructure may include dishwashing stations for reusable products or collection for compostable packaging. Communities in the US have seen widespread availability of compostable plastics, frequently in communities without composting systems to manage these materials. Thus, businesses and consumers pay a higher price for eco-friendly products without available infrastructure to manage them for environmental benefit. Building investment in infrastructure into EPR programs enables cost-sharing across producers, making alternatives scalable and economically viable.