Episode 217: European-Style Recycling Program Makes Its First Arrival In The U.S.

Maine is about to enact the most far-reaching product stewardship law in the country dramatically redefining how traditional recycling plans have been structured. Following models in Europe and Canada, everyone along the supply chain - including restaurants and retailers - will have significant new responsibilities in handling waste and other packaging as well as bearing the cost of recycling. We talk to Curtis Picard, CEO & President of the Retail Association of Maine and Scot Case, the Vice-President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the National Retail Federation to better understand what is happening in this space and what operators can expect going forward. And Gallup is out with their newest edition of annual polling on how optimistic or pessimistic Americans are regarding quality of life and the future. We’ll discuss what impacts those attitudes may have on not only politics and voting but also on spending decisions in the marketplace. We’ll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.