Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is today considered a key tool for building sustainable policy in different countries of the world. Initially, the EPR concept was considered as a means for effective redistribution of costs directed at waste disposal. Instead of consumers and the state, all the burden and responsibility falls on producers who are engaged in bringing their own products to the modern market.
An increasing number of countries are working to strengthen the list of requirements regarding further financing of recycling and future design of new products. Special attention is paid to reports on the composition of used materials and digital product traceability. Therefore, compliance becomes mandatory for most companies and reaches a global level.
Compliance with EPR Requirements
One of the common questions can be called the following question: Who must comply with EPR? The list of key EPR principles, which the Lovat team highlights, includes responsibility for products and packaging throughout their entire life cycle. Moreover, this responsibility completely falls on the manufacturer and other categories of participants who are somehow connected with them.
Depending on the specific jurisdiction, several key groups are noted that must remember about VAT compliance and other equally important requirements:
- Manufacturers, brand owners. They often must be registered in the relevant EPR schemes, provide regular reports on the materials used and volumes of their products, pay fees, finance waste recycling and so on.
- Importers. This is especially relevant for international companies that work with cross-border supplies with EPR obligations.
- Distributors and retailers. This category may participate in EPR if they own products that can subsequently be sold to the end consumer.
Moreover, the list of obligations is often similar: reporting, registration, environmental labeling and much more.
Obligations for Different Jurisdictions
In order to register for EPR report online, it is initially important to familiarize yourself with the features of work, rules and requirements of each jurisdiction.
The list of obligations can be considered using the example of 4 most common jurisdictions:
- Australia. Here all EPR obligations automatically extend to brand owners, importers of various goods and product manufacturers. Within the framework of national schemes, obligations also concern producers of electronic equipment.
- Canada. Here EPR regulation is carried out not at the level of the entire country, but at the level of different provinces. For example, for packaging and working with paper materials, participants must register with Producer Responsibility Organizations (PRO). This is relevant not only for manufacturers, but also for importers and retailers wishing to “introduce” the Canadian market to unique and new goods on the modern market.
- USA. Here EPR development is carried out at the level of different states. For example, in California and some other states, laws have already come into force that concern packaging, electronics, and other equally relevant categories. Responsibility falls on the shoulders of manufacturers, importers, and brand owners.
- China. According to the global trend, China also does not lag behind other countries, working on gradually strengthening the rules regarding waste disposal. For this purpose, electronic accounting platforms are being introduced, and manufacturers are required to provide regular reports regarding recycling and sustainable product design.
Thanks to the constant updating of EPR reforms, additional administrative obligations are automatically created, together with which new standards for sustainable product design are formed. Therefore, companies in different countries are obliged to monitor the regular preparation and submission of reports, review all product design strategies, supply chains and data accounting systems. Only in this case will they be able to fully comply with current EPR standards.