Polluter Pays Principle

Shifting the cleanup cost of packaging waste to companies could encourage greener packaging – but only if states are aligned

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/752081/original/file-20260804-50-rtr1m3.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C80%2C1920%2C1280&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some state legislatures are seeking ways to alleviate anxieties about plastic waste. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shampoo_Aisle_Shoppers_Drug_Mart_Edmonton_Early_2020.jpg">Rowanswiki/Wikimedia Commons</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Standing in your local retail store, it can be mind-boggling to try to weigh the pros and cons of all the packaging options. Take shampoo, for example. Shampoo can come in a rigid plastic bottle, a flexible squeeze tube, a refillable metal canister or a solid bar in a paperboard box. </p> <figure> <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPf529urxw8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscr