Those who package, pay – the EPR concept

In principle, it sounds quite simple: Anyone who introduces packaging into circulation is also responsible for what happens to it after use. This is the essence of EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR). In Germany and large parts of Europe, it has been widely implemented: Companies that place packaging on the market pay a levy and thus finance the necessary infrastructure for collecting and recycling packaging.
However, it is precisely at the critical plastic hotspots in the Global South that Extended Producer Responsibility is still largely in its infancy. This is a major cause of the plastic waste problem.

The POLYPROBLEM online workshop provides an overview of the status of Extended Producer Responsibility worldwide and the opportunities and possibilities of implementing this principle even where there is no corresponding legislation and the necessary infrastructure is not yet in place.