Consultant team explains EPR: shifting costs to producers and examples from other states

Consultants from HDR described extended producer responsibility (EPR) as an approach that moves financial responsibility for postconsumer management of packaging from taxpayers and municipalities back to producers and brands. Dan Basowski explained that EPR programs create fee structures that reimburse service providers and fund education and end-market development, giving producers an incentive to reduce problematic packaging.

"Extended producer responsibility is really the the intent of it is to develop an approach to manage materials through the entire life cycle of a product," Dan said, framing EPR as lifecycle management rather than an end-of-life-only policy. The presentation noted Hawaii already has an EPR law for e-waste (passed in 2008) and pointed to other U.S. states and international jurisdictions that have study bills or full EPR programs for packaging and non-packaging materials (examples discussed included Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Colorado and California). The team emphasized that a needs assessment is the first step to understand how EPR might operate in Hawaii's unique island context.