The legislature finds 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; and
2. Packaging comprises a significant percentage of the overall solid
waste stream; and
3. The presence of heavy metals 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;
and
4. Lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, on the basis of
available scientific and medical evidence, are of particular concern;
and
5. It is desirable as a first step in reducing the toxicity of
packaging waste to eliminate the addition of these heavy metals to
packaging; and
6. The intent of this title 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.