Have you ever questioned why Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was introduced?
The answer lies in the growing concern for the environment and consumer safety.
As the world becomes more aware of the negative impact of waste products on the environment and our health, governments and organizations are taking it upon themselves to regulate and monitor manufacturers’ actions.
The introduction of extended product responsibility is to ensure that companies are held accountable for their products’ safety and encourages them to adopt more sustainable practices by minimizing the impact their products have on the environment.
This blog post will delve deeper into what EPR is, why its introduction is essential, and what countries have adopted this policy.
How Exactly Does the EPR Work
Just before we dive into why EPR was really introduced, let me walk you through what it’s really all about
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is actually a concept aimed at making producers more responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products.
It’s like giving them a nudge to care for what they produce from start to finish.
So, how does it work?
It all starts with the government stepping in and setting up some rules. They create policies that require producers to think about what happens to their products after they’re used up.
Producers and Importers now have legal and financial duties to ensure their products are managed properly throughout their life cycle.
This includes how they’re packaged, used, and eventually dealt with when they reach the end of their life.
The general EPR Idea is that producers cover the waste management cost for each unit of packaging they put on the market.
This fee covers the costs of collecting, sorting, recycling, and disposing of the packaging waste and other activities such as awareness raising, monitoring, and enforcement.
The fee can also vary depending on the type and amount of packaging, its recyclability, and environmental impact.
For example, producers may pay more for packaging that is hard to recycle or contains hazardous substances and less for reusable packaging made from recycled materials.
This creates a financial incentive for producers to reduce their packaging use and improve their packaging design.
Different entities, such as government agencies, industry-led organizations, or independent third parties, can collect and manage the fee.
These entities are responsible for ensuring that the fees are used to fund the waste management system and to achieve the recycling targets set by the EPR scheme.
They also have to report on the performance and outcomes of the scheme and enforce compliance among the producers.
Who is Affected by EPR?
EPR primarily impact packaging producers and other products subject to EPR regulations in their respective countries.
The definition of a producer may vary, but in general, if you fall under any of the following categories, you may be liable to pay EPR fees if you:
- Supply goods to the market under your own brand, and the packaging is subject to EPR regulation.
- You place goods into unbranded packaging before they are supplied to the market.
- Import products are subject to EPR regulations, and their packaging is included in these regulations.
- Own online marketplaces that supply products with packaging.
- Hire or loan out reusable packaging.
- Supply empty packaging for products like containers or bottles.
Why was the ERP Introduced
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was introduced as a policy approach to address the growing environmental challenges posed by increasing amounts of waste generated by consumer products.
The strategy places the responsibility for managing a product’s entire lifecycle, including post-consumer waste management, on the producers rather than solely on the consumers or local municipalities.
The main reasons for introducing Extended Producer Responsibility are as follows:
- Waste Management and Pollution Reduction: Traditional waste management methods, such as landfilling and incineration, lead to environmental pollution and resource depletion. By holding producers responsible for the end-of-life management of their products, EPR aims to encourage better waste management practices, including recycling and sustainable disposal, to reduce the environmental impact.
- Resource Conservation: EPR promotes the efficient use of resources by encouraging manufacturers to design products that are easier to recycle, repair, or reuse. This helps in conserving raw materials and reducing overall waste generation.
- Encouraging Sustainable Design: When producers are accountable for the disposal of their products, they have a greater incentive to design products that have a longer lifespan, are easily recyclable, and have fewer harmful materials. This can lead to the development of more sustainable products and packaging.
- Shift in Responsibility: EPR shifts waste management’s financial burden and responsibility away from local governments and taxpayers. Producers must cover the costs associated with recycling and managing the waste generated from their products.
- Encouraging Circular Economy: EPR aligns with the principles of a circular economy, where products are designed to be continually cycled and reused, reducing the need for new raw materials and minimizing waste.
How Did EPR Start?
In the quest for sustainable environmental practices, some pioneering countries took the lead in adopting extended producer responsibility policies during the 1990s.
Germany and Sweden were among the trailblazers, addressing the issue of consumer packaging waste with groundbreaking initiatives.
Germany’s Packaging Ordinance of 1991, which established the DSD (Der Grüne Punkt), was a pivotal national-level policy in this regard.
Subsequently, the European Union followed suit in 1994, introducing the Packaging Directive to set recycling targets across the union while allowing member countries to implement flexible approaches.
Japan, too, had its own consumer packaging policies, assigning local governments the responsibility of collecting and processing packaging waste while manufacturers bore the costs of recycling.
As the decade’s progressed, extended producer responsibility policies expanded their scope,
particularly targeting the mounting volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment, which posed environmental and health risks.
Recognizing the urgency of the matter, the EU issued directives covering various products, including end-of-life vehicles,
waste electrical and electronic equipment, hazardous substances in such equipment, as well as waste batteries and energy storage devices.
The United States embraced extended producer responsibility on a more voluntary basis at the national level, facilitated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Nonetheless, numerous states took the initiative to implement regulatory extended producer responsibility legislation, encompassing products like electronics, batteries, and mercury thermometers.
Through these collective efforts and progressive policies, the concept of extended producer responsibility has evolved,
becoming a pivotal cornerstone in the global pursuit of sustainable waste management and environmental conservation.
Let’s take a look at a few continents.
EPR Implementation around the World
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Africa:
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a relatively new concept in many African countries, despite the growing environmental waste issue across the continent. Currently, only South Africa has adopted EPR.
In May 2021, South Africa made EPR compulsory for packaging companies.
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Asia:
Japan and South Korea (Republic of Korea) have taken significant strides in promoting sustainable waste management through their well-established Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks.
These frameworks entail a crucial requirement for producers and importers to contribute an Advance Disposal Fee for products that are challenging to recycle effectively.
The progressive system was introduced in 2003 and focused on 27 electronic products,
as defined by Article 14 of the presidential decree of the “Act on Resource Recirculation of Electrical and Electronic Waste and End-of-Life Vehicles.”
India also introduced EPR guidelines in 2016 for plastic packaging waste and electronic waste.
Recently, the Central Pollution Control Board of India made EPR Registration mandatory, requiring plastic product producers, importers,
and brand owners to pay for and manage the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.
In 2015, Russia implemented its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program,
which stipulates that manufacturers must establish their own recycling facilities or partner with external recycling organizations to manage plastic waste.
Producers must submit annual reports to demonstrate compliance with recycling standards, and failure to do so results in payment of a special fee (i.e., the environmental fee) to the budget at set rates.
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Australia:
Australia’s EPR mandate is based on the National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure 2011 (NEPM).
The country aims to achieve 100% recyclable packaging by 2025, and innovative upstream designs are used sustainably to implement EPR.
Also, New Zealand introduced concepts through The Waste Minimisation Act 2008, which mandates producers to implement comprehensive take-back and recyclability programs for plastic packaging and e-waste.
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North America:
As of 2019, there are 115 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies across 33 states in the United States.
These policies address 14 categories of items that are difficult to recycle or constitute bulky materials, including electronic waste, mattresses, pharmaceuticals, and plastic waste.
The United States and Canada also jointly implemented a Product Stewardship Program.
This voluntary initiative focuses on product redesign, alternative marketing approaches,
and innovative recycling and collection programs to promote sustainable development and environmentally responsible practices among producers.
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Europe:
Some of the world’s oldest and most widespread EPR schemes are found in European countries like Sweden, Croatia,
and France. These countries have experienced significant increases in recycling rates since implementing EPR schemes.
The European Union has made plastic waste and e-waste management compulsory through extended producer responsibility. Additionally,
the United Kingdom’s EPR scheme for plastic packaging that has been fully effective in 2023, promoting recyclable packaging and responsible practices among producers.
Conclusion:
Introducing EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) was a necessary step towards creating a more sustainable future.
By holding manufacturers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products, EPR helps to reduce waste, promote recycling, and encourage innovation in packaging and product design.
Most countries have realized the need to shift towards a circular economy, and EPR is paving the way.
