Rhode Island DEM Seeks Public Comment on Recycling Report
In Providence, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is soliciting public comment on a draft report that recommends the adoption of both a bottle bill and an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program to enhance the state's recycling rates…
Providence New Bedford, RI, October 26, 2026 —
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is seeking public comment on a draft report that recommends adopting two policies: a bottle bill and an Extended Producer Responsibility program. The report presents the proposals as ways to enhance the state’s recycling rates and reduce waste.
The recommendations remain proposals in a draft report. The available information does not say that either policy has been adopted, nor does it describe what form either program would take. The department’s request for public comment provides an opportunity for feedback while the report is in draft form, but details about how to submit comments were not provided.
The summary of the report does not specify a deadline for public comment, explain the report’s findings, or give estimates of how the proposals might affect recycling or waste levels. It also does not identify the report’s authors or say whether the recommendations include implementation timelines. Those details were not available in the information provided.
The two recommendations are presented together as approaches intended to support the same goals, but the draft report’s specific rationale for each was not included. No information was provided about the next steps after the comment period or whether the department will revise the report in response to feedback. For now, the stated development is that DEM is soliciting public comment on a draft report recommending both measures.
Story summarized from the original created by Bonnie Phillips on ecori.org, see more information here.
