Extended Producer Responsibility Outside of Europe

Extended Producer Responsibility Outside of Europe

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Extended producer responsibility (EPR) for European producers is often associated exclusively with Europe or the European Union. This fact is hardly surprising, as the legislation is very well known at the EU level, where the concept is most mature. Prominent elements are the Waste Framework Directive and the product-specific Directives on Waste Packaging, Waste Batteries, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, among others.

Despite this image, the concept of EPR has long surpassed European boundaries. Not only do non-EU countries like Norway, Turkey, Serbia, or Switzerland enforce similar legislation, but they also develop it along the lines of the progress made by EU directives.

However, the relevance of EPR does not stop there. Several countries worldwide have implemented EPR legislation, often taking the European rules and concepts as a framework or conceptual basis. EPR is found in North America (USA, Canada), as much as rules exist in Latin and South America (e.g., Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil). For instance, laws and collective schemes have been operating for a considerable time in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, and India.

Of course, the African continent is also relevant. For example, Nigeria is setting up a WEEE collective scheme. South Africa has just launched EPR schemes for WEEE and Packaging. Plus, a Battery law and collective schemes are already expected. Like South Africa, the United Arab Emirates very recently issued implementing regulations to the law on Integrated Waste Management.

Yet, the EPR systems’ layout can vary greatly. For instance, Turkey is transitioning from a collective scheme-oriented model to a state-led Producer Responsibility model. Switzerland operates a very concise number of schemes, all monopolies to their fractions or device types. On the other hand, the South African system now launched an array of packaging schemes with responsibilities for different packaging materials. Producers can thus often not adhere to a single packaging scheme to be compliant but will be required to close contracts with multiple schemes.

If you are already selling in an international environment or are planning to expand into new markets, do not hesitate to contact your RLG Key Account for an EPR assessment of the relevant obligations. Of course, RLG can also provide in-country registration and reporting services.

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Les Griffith - Speakers

Business Development Director
RLGA

Les Griffith is currently the Business Development Director at RLGA and is tasked with expanding the company’s data management offerings for packaging EPR in the Americas. Les has over 30 years of industry experience in Environmental Services, Extended Producer Responsibility and Reverse Distribution. Les has spent these last 30 years working with organizations to develop progressively more sustainable solutions to the management of end-of-life materials. Prior to joining RLG, Les spent eleven years at Covanta most recently serving as the Business Development Director for the Healthcare Solutions division. His group covered North and Central America and specialized in providing a suite of services to healthcare PROs, take-back services to retail pharmacy and law enforcement and environmental services to the healthcare sector and reverse distributors. Prior to Covanta Les spent 10 years at Waste Management Inc. as an Area Manager for their Healthcare Solutions group.

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Andriana Kontovrakis - Speakers

Director of Compliance Services
RLG

Andriana Kontovrakis is the Director of Compliance Services for Reverse Logistics Group’s US team.  She manages a team responsible for ensuring manufacturer and retailer customer compliance with EPR laws for electronics, batteries, packaging, household hazardous wastes, and other consumer products across the US. Along with RLG partner the Household and Commercial Products Association, she is spearheading the development of the Household Product Stewardship Alliance, a stewardship organization forming under the guidelines of Vermont’s HHW EPR law.  Prior to working with RLG, she was a Policy Analyst with the global electronics recycler Sims Lifecycle Solutions where she managed programmatic implementation and customer and supplier accounts for the US EPR compliance unit and the Deputy Director for Waste Prevention for the NYC Department of Sanitation.

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