Heidi Sanborn, executive director of the National Stewardship Action Council | With the kind permission of Big Wave
A warm welcome back to “women in circularity”, in which we take a look at women in the direction of a circular economy. This month I was pleased to connect with a leading innovator for voice and politics in sustainable material management: Heidi Sanborn. Heidi is the executive director of the National Stewardship Action Council, a national non -profit organization, which is committed to a responsible circular economy, the extended producer responsibility (EPR) and other political instruments. With almost four decades of experience, Heidi is often referred to as the “godmother of EPR” in the USA. She helped to survive more EPR laws As everyone else in the USA build coalitions, inspire new voices and the creation of solutions that provide real results.
They were a mighty voice in the design of the politics of the circular economy in the United States. What motivated her first to concentrate her career on the reduction in waste and how has your journey developed over time?
Already at a young age I noticed how casually we treated waste and littered our natural areas. It worried me a lot to the point where I would pick up the entire litter in our local park, and I started a newspaper recycled route with my red car where I collected newspapers from neighbors. And my father would help me to load them into our city and country station car and drive to the paper recycling station in Wilmington, Delaware–Where we have had the car and have been paid for every pound that we recycled.
My parents are scientists and also taught me how to be composted, and we had to deal with neighbors who were worried about rats, so I learned from Nimby-ISM [“not in my backyard”] Early and how to manage these discussions. Over time, I realized that this was a system problem, not just an individual behavioral problem. This understanding led me to the guideline – because there we have the greatest opportunity to shift responsibility upstream, to require the responsibility of the manufacturers and the draft waste from the system. My career has really developed to raise awareness of the structure and adoption of laws in the USA that enable systemic change.
As a founding director of the National Stewardship Action Council a decade ago, you made important efforts to advance the EPR and the accountability of the companies. What is a performance that you are particularly proud of moving the needle over the responsibility of the producers?
I am particularly proud to help you negotiate and say goodbye to California SB 54The strongest and most beautiful law on the responsibility of the nation's producer–how it was written, negotiated and adopted. It was the product of years of coalition structure and hard negotiations of all those involved, from companies to political decision -makers, environmental organizations, recyclers, waste transporters and local communities.
SB 54 not only demands that the producers finance recycling and plastic pollution reductions, but also creates a national model for the writeration of courageous EPR laws and can be implemented prioritating source reduction.
Today I am also one of the managers who work to keep Calrecycle and governor [Gavin] Newsom is responsible for the implementation of the law, while it was passed – without surveys or gaps – so that the Californians can fully exploit its economic and ecological advantages. But this work is not just about California. Thanks to the National Stewardship Action Council, we have taken over the movement nationwide, and what happens here has wave effects for other states that adopt and implement EPR laws, since California has almost 40 million people and drives the markets as the fourth largest economy in the world.
You have contributed to creating laws, building coalitions and influencing national conversations. Is there a project or a guideline? Effort that is particularly transformative?
I am very proud to sponsor and pass SB 212 in California – still the only complete EPR program in the nation for medication and needles. This was a fully internalized cost -EPR program that fought against Big Pharma and asked us to say goodbye to 12 local EPR regulations and stood a judicial contestation against Alameda County, the first County, the EPR for medication until the Supreme Court of the United States. Nobody thought we could beat her and we did it!
It is so important because it shows that you don't need the most money or most of the lawyers. You must have the will and endurance to fight for that Needles.
In recent times we have SB 501 and SB 561 in California with a sponsorship of the first EPR laws in the country, which deal with the dangerous budget waste and the only proposed EPR program in the world for explosive sea torches. The Marine Fackes Law is not only the first of its type of world, both invoices protect workers, public health, the environment and ensure fairer markets by obliging the manufacturers to take responsibility for the management of these difficult waste flows.
And we increase awareness of problems with regard to the security and public health of employees on a national stage, from dangerous budget waste to sea flags to lithium-ion batteries and much more. We shouldn't have the quarterly industry in the country – it is time to remedy this by removing toxins and dangerous products from waste flows by ensuring that we have comfortable and proper management systems for you!
What trend or development in the political space of the circular economy are you the most happy – and what should people look out for more precisely?
I am pleased about the momentum that the “tap” is switched off by waste, be it through reusing systems or products or packaging speech. Recycling is essential, but not the most cost-effective answer and while recycling is part of a circular economy, it is not a circular economy in itself. For this reason, it is an honor for me to guide the National Stewardship Action Council, the only non -profit organization in the country that is dedicated exclusively to the further development of the entire spectrum of solutions for the round economy. We limit companies, communities, political decision -makers, NGOs and the public to build systems that prioritize the durability, repair, recycling, rethinking, redesign and reuse.
I would encourage people to see how Fill pilot And Right to repair Guidelines gain traction – these are the systemic shifts that prevent the mainstream of waste. Truthful lettering is also extremely important to improve the public trust of the product management system.
Do you have any recommendations for people to stay up to date and stay in circularity?
To be honest, the best way is simple – you are involved! Visit us in the National Stewardship Action Council and connect to local groups to stay inspired and active.
Maryellen Etienne is the creator of “women in circularity”. Etienne is working on the US -American Building Council on the market transformation and development team. It has more than 20 years of experience in sustainability and is an advocate of the circular economy.