The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) will be running a free webinar on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs on 14 March at 9:30am CET (7:30pm AEDT).
EPR for packaging is gaining global attention and adoption. This brings to the forefront the need to harmonise EPR across diverse regions, especially given the global interconnectedness of the economy and consumer packaged goods market.
“There are many different approaches to the strategy, and many go beyond providing for end-of-life services to promote responsible product design, infrastructure improvements and market development,” said Nerida Kelton, vice-president Sustainability and Save Food at the WPO.
“Effective EPR is often seen as a necessary piece of the puzzle in addressing the current recycling challenges and concern over single-use packaging waste.
“EPR schemes aim to encourage producers to change at the start to ensure that the materials and packaging are truly recyclable and recovered at end-of-life.”
The intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) definition of EPR identifies two specific features: the shifting of responsibility for disposal upstream from municipalities to producers, and encouragement through incentives to make the design of products more environmentally friendly.
The webinar will seek to better understand what EPR really looks like in Europe, Germany, India and Asia, including the revised EU Packaging & Packaging Waste (PPW) Directive, EPR legislations, eco modulation, and other product stewardship programs that are working successfully.
EPR programs differ around the world and this webinar will help to show you how various countries, and regions are working towards lowering environmental impacts of their materials and packaging, and ensuring that we have packaging that is circular by design.
By attending this session, you will be able to find out more about what is working, and steps towards a more harmonised approach to EPR globally.
The panellists will also share tips to improve EPR programs, and discuss the barriers and challenges that they have experienced establishing an EPR program in their region.
Moderated by Kelton, the webinar will include the following panellists:
- Antro Saila – president of European Packaging Institutes’ Consortium, and chairman of both the Finnish packaging recycling company Rinki and Scandinavian Packaging Association;
- Dr Priyank Arya – vice-president of Waste Management & Recycling Society, and founder/director of EHS Services; and
- Vivian Loftin – co-founder of digital packaging and sustainable packaging experts Recyda.
To register to this free webinar, or for more information, click here.
