Learn About the Oregon Extended Producer Responsibility Law’s Impact on Printed Matter
by Gary Jones, Vice President of Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs Jul 11, 2024

Oregon is one of five states that have now passed an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, and their law covers not just packaging, but also printed paper. As the deadline for compliance gets closer, potentially impacted printing operations need to understand their involvement and any possible compliance requirements. 

The law was passed in August of 2021, but the deadline for compliance will be July 1, 2025. To educate covered entities or producers, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Circular Action Alliance (CAA) and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) are holding a webinar on July 16, 2024, from 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. (PT). They will be covering the responsibilities for producers of printing and writing paper and packaging on identification of products covered under the law and compliance. The obligated producer is generally the owner of the brand under which the packaged item or the paper item is sold.   

While many printing operations would not be considered a producer, many of their customers will be producers under the new law. In that role, the producers will have to join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) and pay a fee for the printed matter (and packaging) that they put into the marketplace in Oregon. The webinar will cover obligation scenarios and compliance details for printing and writing paper. They will present different producer obligation scenarios breaking down who is considered the producer. 

PRINTING United Alliance has been working with the webinar team by presenting several common scenarios for printing operation to ensure they are addressed in the webinar. The topics covered include the following: 

  • Overview of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and its status in the U.S.
  • Detailed explanation of Oregon’s new EPR regulation, including how to join a PRO, reporting requirements, fee structures, and enforcement.
  • Specific guidance for producers of printing and writing paper on identification of products covered under the law and compliance.
  • Extensive Q&A to answer all your questions.

Register for the meeting here. The DEQ has also posted information about this webinar to its website here in the dropdown menu entitled “New PSI webinar series for producers June-September 2024” 

In this article, Gary Jones, Vice President, EHS Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance, addresses environmental legislative issues. More information about the issues can be found at Business Excellence-EHS Affairs  or reach out to Gary should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: gjones@printing.org.    
  
To become a member of the Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.   

Business Environmental Oregon
Gary Jones Vice President of Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs
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Gary A. Jones is the Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Affairs at PRINTING United Alliance in Fairfax, VA. His primary responsibility is to monitor and analyze EHS regulatory activities at all domestic and some international government levels. He provides representation on behalf of the printing and specialty graphic imaging industry. Mr. Jones works closely with the federal and state-level Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and other agencies. He also provides membership assistance on EHS compliance and sustainability programs through a variety of approaches including responding to inquiries, presentations, writing, and consulting services.

He holds a BS in biology from LaRoche College and an MS in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

Speaking Topics:

  • Regulatory compliance and sustainability
  • Webinars on a wide variety of EHS related topics
  • Customized seminars and workshops, including: Compliance Today, Beyond Compliance Tomorrow, OSHA Compliance Essentials, and Hazardous Waste Boot Camp
  • Two-day workshops Environmental Compliance for Printers and OSHA Compliance for Printing

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