WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 6205

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY FOR PACKAGING AND PAPER ACT

2025 Regular Session Introduced by David Bennett and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island's EPR Act creates a statewide, producer-funded program to finance and coordinate packaging and paper recycling/composting, shifting costs from towns to producers.

05/13/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 6205

Summary — HB 6205: Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Act

Overview / Purpose

HB 6205 (titled the "Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Act") establishes a producer-funded, statewide program to improve and coordinate recycling, composting, and reuse of packaging and paper products. The bill declares producer responsibility for funding municipal recycling systems, improving service coordination, and promoting a circular economy to conserve resources and reduce emissions associated with primary production.

Note: the materials provided for this request also included an unrelated Michigan amendment to the public health code (immunization exemptions). The summary below focuses on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act language (Title 23, Health and Safety) contained in the document.

Key provisions

  • Legislative intent: declares that producers should fund and coordinate recycling/composting to address funding, coordination, and accountability gaps in municipal recycling systems.
  • New chapter added to Title 23 (Health & Safety) establishing the EPR framework and creating a statewide program administered by the Department of Environmental Management (the Department).
  • Definitions: establishes key terms (producer, covered materials, packaging, paper products, covered entities, covered services, collection, collection rate, materials recovery facility, compost facility, etc.). Packaging covers a wide array of short‑term consumer packaging (paper, plastics, glass, metal, cartons, flexibles, foams, rigid packaging), with specified exclusions (e.g., packaging not sold to state consumers, some regulated medical/drug packaging, beverage containers subject to bottle bills).
  • Producer-funded program elements (as indicated in the text excerpt):
    • Creation of a statewide producer responsibility advisory board (to advise program structure/performance).
    • Requirement for a baseline assessment of current recycling performance and capacity.
    • Development of minimum recyclable/compostable lists (which identify materials eligible for collection and reimbursement).
    • Definition of "covered services costs" that producers would be responsible for reimbursing — including administration, capital, collection/transport/sorting/processing (net of commodity revenues), public education, and disposal of nonmarketable materials.
    • Standards for environmentally sound management and recordkeeping and tracking of material flows.
  • Oversight: Department/direction by the Director of Environmental Management to implement and regulate program details (rates, lists, performance metrics, reimbursement mechanisms).

Who is affected

  • Producers/manufacturers/distributors who place packaged products or paper products into the Rhode Island consumer market (likely required to participate and fund covered services).
  • Municipalities and local governments (which would receive funding/reimbursement and coordination support for recycling/composting programs).
  • Material recovery facilities, composting facilities, waste haulers and processors (service providers under the program).
  • Consumers and households (covered entities from which materials are collected); potential impacts on collection services and education.
  • End-market businesses and nonprofit organizations involved in reuse, recycling, and recovery.

Potential impacts

  • Shifts net costs of residential packaging/paper recycling from municipal budgets and taxpayers to producers.
  • Potential for increased recycling/composting collection rates, improved service consistency, and reduced contamination due to standardized lists and funding for education and capital improvements.
  • Incentives for producers to redesign packaging for recyclability/compostability.
  • Administrative and compliance costs for producers and for state oversight; potential market effects on packaging suppliers and retailers.
  • Improved tracking and accountability for material flows, with the potential to divert more material from disposal to end markets or composting.

Procedural status & timeline

  • Introduced in the Rhode Island House (sponsors listed) on April 9, 2025; referred to the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
  • The broader file provided shows mixed procedural entries from multiple jurisdictions. According to the Bill Information provided, a committee action on 05/13/2025 lists the measure as “recommended measure be held for further study.” That indicates the committee did not advance the bill for passage at that time; next steps would depend on committee reconsideration or reintroduction.

Notes & limitations

  • The provided bill text is partial/truncated; many implementation details (e.g., specific producer fee formulas, enforcement mechanisms, exact timelines for program roll‑out, targets/collection-rate goals, exemptions or registration requirements for producers) are not included in the excerpt. Full evaluation requires the complete bill text and any implementing regulations or subsequent amendments.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.