It’s EPR, not ERP!

Do you recall hearing the term Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) at the March Municipal Leaders Caucus and last year's annual convention?

Alberta Municipalities and the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) are co-hosting a webinar called EPR 101 to explain the concept and spread the word. The session is designed for busy elected officials who want to develop their EPR knowledge, ask questions, and learn how EPR programs will change how local governments provide recycling and waste management.

This "Lunch & Learn" event will take place on May 18, 2022, from noon to 1 p.m. A 20-minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. To register, go to Eventbrite.

Here are the topics we will cover: 

• What is EPR? 
• The history of EPR
• EPR programs in Canada
• Alberta Municipalities' EPR advocacy to date
• What does Alberta have in the way of EPR? 
• How do ARMA and the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB) fit in? 
• What are hazardous and special products, packaging and paper products, and single-use plastics? 

Alberta Municipalities has advocated for EPR since local governments endorsed a resolution calling for the provincial government to establish an EPR framework and expand existing recycling programs in 2019.

We have made progress! Between 2019 to 2021, Alberta Municipalities worked with our partners, including RCA, to examine the benefit of an EPR packaging and paper program and lobbied the Members of the Legislative Assembly on the benefits of EPR.

The provincial government plans to introduce EPR regulations in June 2022.

For more information about EPR, check out ABmunis’ Waste Management Hub, RCA's EPR background, and Alberta Environment and Parks’ EPR Engagement web page.