Ecoveritas calls for detailed guidance for EPR
Packaging company Ecoveritas has called for more detailed guidance around the impending extended producer responsibility (EPR) packaging policy.
Thursday, 11 Aug 2022 11:01 GMT
Ecoveritas warns that 2024 will come around quickly and that much needs to be done to prepare for EPR
EPR is a flagship packaging policy which has been designed to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging produced and used. The idea is that more packaging is designed to be recycled and for the quality of recycling to be improved.
Whilst the deadline for the EPR to be implemented has been postponed until 2024, Ecoveritas warns that further delays in publishing detailed guidance could place the timetable for EPR at risk.
The company argues that there is a need for better understanding, identification, and management of waste in order to improve recycling rates.
However, Ecoveritas describes the gathering of data from different parts of the value chain as creating a “data burden” with businesses facing new and complex obligations to meet.
Josh Remi, commercial manager of Ecoveritas explains: “What businesses need, right now, is detailed guidance. Keep in mind that some businesses don’t even know obligations are coming. They need time to set up effective IT and reporting systems, so they are well prepared for the heavy data requirements when the legislation begins.
“We need more robust data-collection and tracking methods to provide a full end-to-end picture of how waste is collected, transferred, processed, and reused, and to identify areas of improvement in the processing and recycling of waste. This generates a huge data burden for entire supply chains.”
Whilst the deadline of 2024 may seem a fair way off, Remi warns that this does not mean businesses have plenty of time.
“Keep in mind that reporting will need to cover packaging placed on the market from January to December 2023,” he says, adding: “There is a huge amount to do on a relatively short time scale – the new system will require so much more data than businesses are accustomed to collecting under the current system Producers and packaging manufacturers are moving into a more challenging world – and arguably they should if they are to truly reduce the environmental impact of their packaging.”
If you have any news, please email carys@linkpublishing.co.uk or join in with the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Tags:
