Electro-Extraction and the Future of E-Waste with Megan O'Connor, CEO and Co-founder of Nth Cycle - Battery + Storage Podcast
Reuse to the Rescue: Talking Water Reuse with Pat Sinicropi, Executive Director, WateReuse Association - Reflections on Water Podcast
2023 saw terms like “ESG,” “greenwashing,” and “circular economy” come into common use. We also saw a tsunami of other environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related developments at the international, federal, and state...more
The American Conference Institute is hosting its first West Coast Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Forum on Cosmetics & Personal Care Products in Santa Monica on September 28-29, 2023! This conference comes just in time to...more
A new batteries regulation will impact the design, production and waste management of all types of batteries manufactured or sold in the European Union. The new rules extend producer responsibility and require due diligence...more
As lithium-based batteries become more prevalent in everything from electric vehicles (EVs) to industrial-scale batteries, as well as e-scooters and personal electronics, more questions arise regarding how to properly manage...more
On May 23, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission hosted a national workshop designed to consider the current state of recycling practices and recycling-related advertising. This follows an FTC announcement in December 2022 that...more
On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada announced the launch of consultations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) with respect to...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) released the draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (EPA 530-R-23-006) (Draft Strategy) on April 21, 2023. The...more
On May 2, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (Draft Strategy) for public comment. 88 Fed. Reg. 27502. EPA states in its April...more
On the eve of Earth Day, the Biden Administration announced a new “White House Interagency Policy Committee (“IPC”) on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy.” The IPC is tasked with coordinating federal efforts on plastic...more
California’s SB 54, or the Plastic Producer Responsibility Act, represents a substantial expansion of the increasingly popular form of legislation focused on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for plastic recycling. While...more
Americans have been “recycling” since colonial times. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that Americans began viewing recycling ― often provided alongside rubbish removal ― a more formal solution to problems posed by consumer...more
In an ambitious step toward New York state’s climate goals, the New York State Climate Action Council approved a Scoping Plan on December 19, 2022, which sets forth a series of recommended policies and actions. The 445-page...more
On November 21, 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a Science & Tech Spotlight on biorecycling of plastics. Biological recycling, or biorecycling, is an emerging technology that uses microbes, such...more
On July 29, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (the “Act”). The Act is designed to phase out single-use plastics in the state and is the...more
The new requirements under the German Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz, VerpackG) present a challenge and an opportunity for companies that have to re-design their operational processes to comply with the new requirements. If...more
Key Takeaways What is Happening? On July 13, 2021, Maine became the first state to sign Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation into law for plastics and packaging materials, and Oregon may soon follow. This...more
The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) intends to fine Tesla in Germany millions of euros. The reason for this is Tesla’s apparent failure to comply with the applicable regulations on taking back and recycling batteries....more
Plastic pollution and waste reduction are becoming key elements of the sustainability conversation. Early movers are investing in plastic-reduction funds, technologies such as plastic to fuel and molecular recycling, or...more
The continued efforts of federal, state, and local governments to legalize cannabis, both in medical and recreational uses, leaves many potential impacts, including environmental law and regulatory issues in the...more
Focus - Mayor Garcetti’s ‘Green New Deal’ would phase out gas-fueled cars in L.A. - Los Angeles Times - April 29 - Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a sweeping plan for a more sustainable Los Angeles on Monday, imagining a...more
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (“ISRI”) submitted August 17th comments on China’s proposed revisions to its solid waste law (“Law”). The country is proposing to revise its Law for the stated purpose of...more
Welcome to our Environmental Legislative Updates. Throughout Connecticut’s legislative session, these updates highlight developments concerning environmental law and policy. The author prepares updates as Legislative...more
China has launched or announced a significant number of regulatory initiatives in the automotive sector over the first months of 2016. I have selected a number of regulatory initiatives representing such trends, below, from...more