Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a waste management strategy that holds producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products, including disposal and recycling costs.

By shifting responsibility upstream, EPR encourages sustainable product design and supports the development of efficient waste management systems.

The National Environmental Management: Waste Act (NEMWA) makes EPR mandatory for all producers and importers of packaging.

Producers or importers of packaging, as well as brand owners and retailers who use  packaging for their products, are required – by legislation – to do the following:

  • Register with the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.
  • Join or form a PRO that includes the entire value chain of a particular waste stream.
  • Pay the appropriate EPR fees to the PRO for the implementation of an EPR scheme. Any company or brand owner that makes, imports or uses any form of packaging for distribution is required to pay an EPR fee per tonne of material (which is determined by legislation).
  • Be accountable for the operation and performance of the EPR scheme.
  • Fulfil monitoring and reporting obligations.

 

 

The EPR fees paid by producers and brand owners to the various PROs are intended to cover all the costs associated with meeting the nearly 30 obligations as set out in the EPR regulations, which include collection and recycling of waste, support for infrastructure, education and training programmes, and waste picker integration.

To learn more about the Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, visit the South African Waste Information Centre (SAWIC) on the DFFE website.

PRO Alliance’s submission on proposed amendments to the EPR legislation:

 

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