Lorax EPI's recent workshop on global packaging EPR developments
by Rachel Langhill at 18:12 in Circular Economy, Content, Packaging
Last week, the Lorax EPI team gave a workshop on global packaging EPR developments as part of the Sustainability in Packaging US 2021 Conference.
Our presenters took some time to investigate the true costs of packaging extended producer responsibility on a per-capita and per-product basis as well as discuss major changes in worldwide EPR programs that will affect the global environmental packaging industry moving forward.
We also explored six major environmental packaging themes commonly found in each region of the world:
- Extended Producer Responsibility, which affects all other themes in some way,
- Post-consumer recycled content (PCR) requirements,
- Single-use plastic regulations,
- Eco-modulated EPR fees,
- Design for recyclability, and
- Labeling for sorting.
In Europe, for example, new legislation requires producers to label product packaging for disposal, and EPR schemes must be updated to include modulated fees and PCR requirements for some items.
But in North America, where packaging EPR currently only exists in some Canadian provinces, we tend to see state bills lean more heavily towards design requirements to ensure recyclability and single-use plastic regulations, which often include bans on certain items and PCR requirements for others.
In regions of the world where packaging EPR is just beginning to come online, such as in Latin America and the Asia Pacific regions, the current focus is heavily centered on movements toward circular economy principles. Once EPR is operational in more of these countries, it can be expected that it will influence a move toward the other common themes – for example, these EPR schemes may include eco-modulated fees that will reward the use of PCR, or labeling for sortation may become regulated by legislation as consumer education becomes more important and begins to receive funding.
If you attended the workshop and would like a copy of the slides, or if you were unable to attend and would like to learn more about the information discussed, please contact Lorax EPI today.
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