Webinar: Presentation | EPR for Packaging: The Spectrum of Control by Sustainable Packaging Coalition

SPC Winter Series 2022

About This Webinar

In 2021, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging received a lot of attention, with Maine and Oregon passing the first two bills in the U.S. 2022 is likely to see many other states introduce or reintroduce bills, each with a unique structure. The new laws and proposed bills take different approaches to EPR, particularly in terms of how the decisions are made. Some systems bestow producers with greater control, while others keep the authority with the state government. The differences are both subtle and obvious, and there is much disagreement on the best approach. During this session, we’ll take an in-depth look at the spectrum of control, from producer-led to government-led, and discuss why it matters and what it means.

Presenters

Karen Hagerman

Manager, SPC Collaboratives, GreenBlue

Karen Hagerman joined GreenBlue in December 2020 as the Collaboratives Manager for the SPC. After a nine-year career in the Marine Corps, Karen shifted her energy towards addressing plastic pollution and responsible resource usage. She earned her MS in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University, with a focus on circular and resilient systems. For her thesis research, she conducted a whole-systems assessment of the plastics value chain and recycling infrastructure in the U.S. While obtaining her graduate education, Karen worked on the Education and Outreach Team at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center. She engaged with students, community members, and visitors on issues concerning sustainability and conservation through environmental education lessons, public science center tours, and outreach opportunities. Prior to entering her graduate program, Karen was a CH-53E Helicopter Pilot and Officer in the United States Marine Corps. She served in different leadership roles in program and team management, from Administration to Quality Assurance. The majority of her roles were in Operations, developing long-range plans, building detailed schedules, and creating and implementing training strategies. Karen holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Always looking for ways to improve herself and her surroundings, Karen is a trained yoga teacher, avid trail runner, and committed trash-picker-upper.

Garth Hickle

Managing Partner, Signalfire Group

Garth Hickle is an independent consultant with an emphasis on environmental product policy and the circular economy. Previously, he led the product stewardship program for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and oversaw the implementation of EPR programs for rechargeable batteries, electronics, and architectural paint.

He has served as a board member of the Global Product Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), the Global Product Stewardship Council, and Conservation Minnesota.

Garth is also a senior lecturer and visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota. He has published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Journal of Cleaner Production, Resource Conservation and Recycling, and Business Strategy and the Environment. Garth holds a MA in Public Administration from Hamline University, an MSEL from Vermont Law School, and a PhD in Industrial Ecology and Sustainability from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.