SWANA and PSI Formalize Partnership to Expand Collaboration on Materials Management

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) have announced a new reciprocal partnership aimed at strengthening education, advocacy, and research across the materials management sector, as the U.S. accelerates policy and operational shifts toward circular economy models, according to organizational statements.

The agreement brings together two influential groups with complementary roles in waste and resource management. SWANA represents public- and private-sector professionals responsible for solid waste systems across North America, while PSI is a national nonprofit widely recognized for advancing extended producer responsibility policies in the United States. The partnership formalizes years of informal collaboration as regulatory pressure grows around hazardous and hard-to-manage materials.

Extended producer responsibility programs have expanded rapidly in recent years, with multiple U.S. states adopting EPR laws covering packaging, electronics, batteries, and other consumer products. Analysts say these policies are reshaping the relationship between producers, municipalities, and waste operators, increasing demand for technical guidance, training, and cross-sector coordination. Observers note that lithium-ion batteries, disposable vapes, and compressed gas cylinders have emerged as particular risk areas due to fire hazards and safety incidents at collection and processing facilities.

Under the partnership, SWANA and PSI will coordinate information sharing, joint educational programming, and participation in each other’s technical groups and policy workstreams. Planned activities include collaborative webinars, shared thought leadership, and reciprocal engagement at conferences and training events, designed to translate policy developments into practical guidance for practitioners and decision-makers.

Industry groups argue that closer alignment between policy experts and frontline waste operators is essential as new regulations take effect. PSI’s work has historically focused on policy design and stakeholder convening, while SWANA has emphasized professional education and operational best practices. Bringing those strengths together could help reduce implementation gaps that have challenged earlier stewardship programs.

Both organizations are expected to use the partnership to respond more quickly to emerging materials and regulatory changes, particularly as states consider new EPR frameworks and update existing ones. Analysts say such collaborations may play a growing role in shaping consistent standards and improving safety outcomes across the materials management system.

Source: SWANA

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The SWANA–PSI partnership links policy expertise and operational education to support safer, more effective materials management as circular economy policies expand in the U.S.