The general assembly has found and declares that: (1) The management of solid waste can pose a wide range of hazards to public health and safety and to the environment; (2) Packaging comprises a significant percentage of the overall solid waste stream; (3) The presence of heavy metals and both perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in packaging is a part of the total concern in light of their likely presence in emissions or ash when packaging is incinerated, or in leachate when packaging is landfilled; (4) Lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and PFAS, on the basis of available scientific and medical evidence, are of particular concern; (5) It is desirable as a first step in reducing the toxicity of packaging waste to eliminate the addition of these heavy metals and PFAS to packaging; and (6) The intent of this chapter is to achieve this reduction in toxicity without impeding or discouraging the expanded use of post-consumer materials in the production of packaging and its components.
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