TRUE BLUE BLOG
What is EPR? And why should brand owners pay attention?
Lessons learned from a recent Sustainable Packaging Coalition conference
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a growing trend throughout the world. EPR means that producers are responsible for the products they sell through the post-consumption stage. In other words, once consumers are done using your product and the package it came in, as a brand owner, you’re responsible for dealing with the waste.
I hear all you brand owners crying, “No way. We’re not in the business of waste management.” Well, the U.S. and Australia are the only developed countries who haven’t yet formulated a mandatory EPR policy. So it’s no longer a question of whether, but when will the U.S. institute mandatory EPR regulation and what will it look like.
Just add up the current challenges of waste management:
- Budget stress of state and local governments
- Stagnant recycling rates
- Growing concern about the disposal of hazardous and toxic wastes. And we’re talking things as simple as CFL lightbulbs, batteries, and household cleaning products, not to mention electronic waste.
This is not a pretty picture.
So local governments are looking to EPR as a way to cover the costs of our growing mountain of trash.
The innovative companies will get ahead of this regulatory challenge by incorporating environmental criteria into the design of their products and packaging—a concept known as design for the environment. Think packaging reduction, recycled and recyclable materials, and yes, compostability. Because even though our current waste management system isn’t optimized for composting, the more companies design for this, the more the system will evolve to keep up.
The innovators will also work with government and waste management companies to develop an EPR policy that:
- Is harmonized across the U.S.
- Creates a framework that covers all products
- Encourages and even incentivizes recycling and composting
So you can bury your head in the sand, and hope that this crazy idea disappears. Or you can get out ahead of the curve like Estée Lauder did with its packaging take-back programs or as Tetra-Pak is doing by developing recovery plants to ensure that its packaging is recyclable.
As a brand owner, you should be worried, very worried, about EPR.
And constructively innovating to prepare.
