The bill introduces a new chapter, "Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging," to Title 23 of the General Laws, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of single-use packaging. It acknowledges the burden on local governments for recycling and disposal costs and the approaching capacity limit of Rhode Island's central landfill. The bill defines terms related to packaging and establishes a packaging reduction and recycling program to be implemented by a packaging reduction organization. This program will collect fees from producers based on their packaging usage to fund the program's administration and support local governments with recycling costs. Producers are required to redesign their products to meet reduction and recycling criteria, and small producers may be exempt from certain requirements.

The bill mandates the creation of a packaging reduction organization, responsible for registering producers, collecting data and fees, and managing the packaging reduction fund. It outlines the organization's duties, including reimbursing state entities and local governments for waste management costs, recommending investments to reduce packaging waste, and providing educational materials. The bill sets incremental packaging reduction requirements for producers and specifies recycling rate targets. It also requires the designation and banning of toxic substances in packaging. The bill authorizes the Department of Environmental Management to select an organization to administer the program, create an inspector general position for compliance evaluation, and enforce penalties for non-compliance, with fines up to $50,000 per violation. The act will take effect upon passage.