State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) has introduced two recent environmental bills addressing household hazardous waste management and clean water protections. Allen said the bills reflect California’s ongoing commitment to environmental leadership amid federal policy fluctuations.
The first, Senate Bill 501, would establish California as the nation’s second state with an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for household hazardous waste (HHW), following Vermont’s lead in 2023. The legislation aims to shift the financial burden of waste management from local governments and taxpayers to the producers of hazardous household products.
“Managing our waste streams has gotten more costly and more dangerous with the increase in household hazardous waste over recent years,” Allen said. “EPR is a valuable and proven method to achieving a safer and more sustainable economy that works for everyone involved. We need producers to be a partner in this effort to relieve the immense burdens on local governments, ratepayers, and waste personnel.”