Producer Responsibility

Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a pollution prevention policy that focuses on product systems, rather than on production facilities. It is based on the premise that the primary responsibility of waste generated during the production process and after the product is discarded is that of the producer.

The history of EPR laws can be dated back to the mid-1970s in Sweden, when the government mandated the recycling of aluminum cans. In 1982, the government further threatened to ban the use of these cans for carrying beer and soft drinks unless there was a system for recycling 75 percent of them by 1985. After trying and failing with several recycling schemes, including curbside recycling programs, the aluminum industry tried a deposit/refund system, which enabled recycling rates to increase to 92 percent in about 10 years. Germany's Ordinance on the Avoidance of Packaging Waste was passed in 1991 and is one of the best-known EPR mandates. However, the earliest form of the EPR system was the deposit refund system for refillable soft drink [Page 708]and beer bottles initiated by the beverage industry in the United States nearly 100 years ago.

The main goal of EPR is sustainable development via environmentally responsible product development and recovery. In most cases, manufacturers do not bear responsibility for products after a sale. The product is disposed of after use, since manufacturers do not design things that can be easily repaired, recycled, refurbished, upgraded, and reused in order to encourage product obsolescence and higher sales for their newer models. However, governments in many countries are increasingly adopting EPR laws that mandate companies to take back and assume responsibility for the products that they sell, from television sets to ink cartridges. The assumption is that holding producers accountable for the waste and pollution will force them to incorporate a broader range of environmental considerations into both the product design as well as choice of materials, hence reducing consumption of resources at the different stages of the life cycle of the product or packaging.

The overarching goal is to encourage manufacturers to assess the full life cycle of their products. This will then force them to rethink and redesign their products so as to eliminate unnecessary parts, do away with unnecessary packaging, and design products that can be easily disassembled, recycled, remanufactured, or reused.

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