​If you are reading this blog, you probably recognise the chasing arrows symbol from packaging that you interact with on a daily basis. However, you might not know what it means, or the history behind it. The symbol has actually become problematic for recycling, which is why we have started to see some governments legislating on the use of the symbol. The...

​When talking about extended producer responsibility (EPR), most people will focus on packaging, waste electronics and electrical items (WEEE) and batteries. But many countries have (or are planning) EPR requirements that extend far beyond these three categories.Canada in particular has a significant number of EPR requirements linked to the automotive in...

​The Scottish Government has announced a postponement of the launch date of their deposit return scheme from July 2022 to the 16th August 2023. All drinks in single-use containers made from PET plastic, glass, steel, or aluminium, sized between 50ml and 3 litres are covered in the scheme. A small deposit will be charged to customers for each beverage cont...

​It is becoming increasingly clear that the planet is under intense pressure from the over-consumption and exploitation of finite resources - creating severe consequences for nature and people worldwide. We can and must all play a part in creating a more sustainable present and future, which can start in both our personal and working lives.Knowing and und...

The Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (Green Guides) were first released by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1992 and have been revised several times since then. The Green Guides were designed to prevent marketers from misleading consumers by using certain environmental claims on their products. The guides are not laws, they do ...

​As anyone who has tried to design a packaging solution that can be placed in multiple markets will know from bitter experience, European labelling legislation is complex and occasionally contradictory. Does the EU's proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation offer some hope for the future?At the moment, there are no mandatory EU-wide labelling re...

​Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging has seen rapid growth in the United States over the last 2 years. Four states have already passed EPR legislation, with seventeen more states having proposed EPR bills during their 2022 legislative sessions. The perspective of EPR in the United States is centred on the financials of waste management, t...

​Common misconceptions around the terms 'compostable / biodegradable / recyclable'. Sometimes when packaging says its 'environmentally friendly' or 'green', it's not all it's cracked up to be! We've put together a quick list of things to be aware of when you buy packaging that claims to be 'compostable', 'biodegradable' or 'recyclable', and some different...

​After much speculation and anticipation, the EU has released its proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, a revision to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD). One of the key changes within the proposal is a change in legal standing, turning it into a 'Regulation' and not a 'Directive'. This means that if implemented, the new regula...

​This year has been groundbreaking for extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation in the United States. On June 3rd this year, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 22-1355 into law, joining California, Oregon and Maine as the first four US states to pass this form of legislation.Colorado's EPR law affects producers of packaging and cert...

​Many countries around the world have established extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws; yet to companies new to this sector, it can often be unclear what data is necessary upon complying with these regulations. Each country's EPR system varies, meaning that there are different data requirements and obligations for each, alongside many differing rep...

Waste Tracking is not a new concept – it is to monitor the movement of waste from one place to another, such as from household waste collectors to a recycling facility. It has been seen as a common mandatory requirement in lots of countries to keep the waste management process organized. Usually, waste type, waste quantity, drop-off details etc, are requi...

​The European Union's current battery legislation was introduced in 2006 with Directive 2006/66/EC. With the current directive being subject to differing interpretations and with battery technology having changed substantially since 2006, the EU is now working on implementing new regulations. First presented in 2020, the new battery regulations showcased ...

​With increasing numbers of countries starting to mandate the use of recycled material in plastic packaging (see our previous blog for more details), where will we get enough recycled plastic from?Mechanical: using heat and shear to convert waste material into recycled material of the same type;Physical (or dissolution): using solvents or other chemicals ...

​Across the globe we are starting to see more movement on mandatory requirements being established for post-consumer recycled content (PCR) to be included in packaging. With the likes of Sweden and a handful of the US states already having mandatory requirements in place, will it be long until we see more countries implement these requirements? With the...

​The French producer responsibility organization for packaging, CITEO, released specific and thorough labelling guidance for their members at the end of last year, to help producers follow the less-detailed requirements of the law. As explained in a previous Lorax EPI blog from last year, the French law requires producers to include component pictograms (...