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Educational Priorities
At the Stewardship Action Foundation, we are committed to achieving an equitable, circular economy through education. Through our educational initiatives, we strive to raise awareness about the importance of transitioning from a linear model of consumption and waste to one that embraces reuse, recycling, and regeneration. By equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions, we aim to create a ripple effect that extends beyond individual actions and inspires systemic change.
Collaboration is at the heart of our work. We actively seek partnerships to foster innovation, share best practices, and drive collective action towards a more equitable and circular economy. We are working hard to promote these ideas by hosting webinars and workshops for individuals, government entities, producers, recyclers, haulers, nongovernmental entities, and advocates to address issues such as those seen below.
National Bottle Bill
As the circular economy is based on the principle of keeping materials in motion at their highest value, a national recycling refund would encourage consumers to reduce, reuse, and recycle beverage containers therefore reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfills and littering the environment. There are 10 states with container deposit return programs now, some operating for over 30 years. This is a proven policy approach that should be expanded nationally. 75% of Americans support a container deposit return program where they live, but only 24% of Americans live in a state with a container deposit return program. Learn more here!
National WIPPES Act
The Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act bipartisan legislation that would create a national standard for the labeling of non-flushable wet wipes. Flushed wet wipes have created tremendous problems for our water infrastructure for many years and is one facet of our growing plastic waste pollution crisis. The WIPPES Act would require manufacturers of non-flushable wet wipes to display clearly and prominently a “DO NOT FLUSH” label on their packaging and would set fines for manufacturers that do not follow the regulation. Learn more here!
Mercury Lighting
Signed into law September 18th, 2022, AB 2208 (authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra & Senator Josh Becker, and sponsored by NSAC) bans mercury-containing compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in 2024 and prohibits linear fluorescent (LFL) and pin-based compact fluorescent lamp sales in 2025. AB 2208 represents a triple win for California – its highly cost-effective, reduces CO2 emissions, and eliminates toxic mercury, thereby protecting workers and all Californians. Learn more here.
Truth in Labeling
NSAC co-sponsored California’s SB 343 in 2021, which is first in the nation legislation that will end the practice of labeling non-recyclable packages and products with a ♻ or any other symbol or statement indicating it is recyclable. This legislation set a precedent for other states and the nation to end deceptive recycling labeling practices across the U.S. Already, several states intend to introduce similar bills and New Jersey has already introduced AB 6025 modeled after SB 343. Learn more here.