Recently, ISRI participated in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Resource Productivity and Waste in Paris, France.
The OECD is a group of 30 member democratic countries that support free market economies and promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Eric Harris (ISRI) and Ross Bartley (BIR) represented the recycling industry as the BIAC representatives, (the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD).
The 6th meeting of the Working Party focused on a number of topics that impact the scrap recycling industry such as: guidance on Economic Instruments like Extended Producer Responsibility; Waste Prevention and Transboundary Movements; Marine litter (particularly plastic); and Resource Scarcity in a Global Economy, including discussion on the circular economy and sustainable materials management efforts. Of particular note, the Secretariat outlined plans for the update to the 2001 Guidance on Extended Producer Responsibility, which should be finalised in 2015.
ISRI and BIR continue to express concerns about commercial competitiveness and unnecessary market distortions produced by certain market-based incentives, particularly Product Take Back programs for recyclables with a positive net value. ReMA and the BIR will submit substantive comments on this guidance.