Exploring Extended Producer Responsibility with Regional Representatives: The Benefits and Drawbacks for Municipalities in Nova Scotia

Abstract

Nova Scotia, despite being a leader in waste diversion, sees large amounts of waste end up in landfills, with missed opportunities in recycling. While issues in waste management are not unique to the province, municipalities, organizations, and other entities recognize that to continue leading in waste diversion, more efforts must be made. In addressing waste issues, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging, Paper Products, and Packaging-like products (PPP) comes into play. This program not only addresses waste problems but shifts the financial and operational burden of recycling collection from municipalities and taxpayers to commercial producers of these materials. This study examines existing literature on waste management and EPR and explores what regional representatives identify in EPR as having potential for improvements, opportunities, limitations, and concerns that could impact municipalities in the province. Results examine participant responses and frequency of opinions pertaining to EPR. Through short, semi-structured Zoom interviews, transcripts were coded in Nvivo, and an inductive and deductive codebook was created and analyzed. Results show that interviewees identified possible limitations arising in operations and transportation, and opportunities arising in financial, environmental, and social categories.