Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Extended Producer Responsibility [EPR] is a policy approach under which producers are given a significant responsibility – financial and/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.​

Through EPR, producers establish an efficient end-of-life management for their products. This spurs them to design products that are easier to dismantle, reuse and recycle. EPR encourages separate waste collection and recycling, as it is often implemented to help States to reach their recycling targets. By doing so, EPR also ensures citizens’ cooperation, as they need to separately collect and sort their waste in order to facilitate end-of-life management.​

E-waste and packaging are focus areas of EPR policies. APEC, EU, UK, U.S. have separate related laws. In the EU different at country level, in the U.S. at State level. For example, the French Repair index for electronic goods will be replaced by the Durability Index in 2024. Both are parts of EU EPR legislation.