- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) 

The packaging stream in the EU has been specifically regulated since 1994 with a packaging specific Directive (94/62/EC and later 2004/12/EC). The Directive has established the Producer Responsibility Principle, which was later expanded to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and was the precedence for many other waste streams to be approached with the EPR principles in the EU. Under the EPR principle, the Producers (the companies that sell specific products) are held responsible to undertake the cost to recover and recycle their products after their useful life. The outcome of these legislations, was the development by the industry of EPR organisations to collectively undertake these responsibilities of the industry in most of the EU countries. EPR has been established by the EU legislation for packaging, waste electrical and electronic waste, batteries and end-of-life vehicles. The success of the EPR model has encourages the EU National governments to use the same model for other waste streams like tyres, used oils, non-packaging paper etc. 

The EPR model is gaining momentum these days around the globe. The need to upgrade (or install in the most primitive cases) waste management systems in many countries, is seen today as an absolute requirement to limit environmental degradation and improve the resource efficiency of the economies. This creates a fertile ground for EPR to expand in new areas of the world. Increasingly governments, national industries and individual companies need expert support to properly install EPR in their countries.

PSC is especially suited to offer such support. With years of experience in setting up EPR systems for packaging, WEEE, batteries and special types of waste, it is well equipped to provide:

• Support to governments to prepare the proper Legal framework
• Support to industries and individual companies with EPR Business Plans
• Support to industries for EPR system development and management
• Support to governments, industries and companies to promote Recycling – Resource Management
• Expert support for efficient material management
• Promotion of innovative Technologies for efficient resource management