EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility)
Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is an approach that makes businesses responsible for managing the environmental impact of products and packaging they place on the market. Depending on the law, a responsible business may be a manufacturer, importer, brand owner or another company that first sells a product in a country.
EPR often applies after a product or package is used. Businesses may have to help fund or organise its collection, sorting, reuse, recycling or safe disposal. They may also need to register, report how much they sell, and pay fees based on the type or quantity of products and packaging. In many countries, businesses meet some of these duties through a producer responsibility organisation, also called a PRO.
The purpose of EPR is to encourage better product and packaging design, reduce waste, and help pay for the systems needed to manage products at the end of their life. The exact obligations vary by country and product category, so businesses should check which rules apply to the goods they sell.
