Did you know - EPR Series. The Definitive Guide on EPR

Did You Know? ?

eWASA Answers Questions on everything #EPR – the new Regulations on Waste Management. The quintessential and authoritative guide on EPR

In the Did You Know series , #eWASA demystifies EPR and addresses usual and pertinent questions on EPR. The object of these write ups is to educate and lead discussions on EPR for all stakeholders so that everyone is aligned an onboard with the spirit and letter of EPR.

In this inaugural article we answer the question: What is EPR in the broad definition of #Waste Management, and what is its significance?

WHAT IS EPR?

So, what is EPR? EPR is the acronym for Extended Producer Responsibility. So, what does this mean and what is its significance. EPR is a set of regulations to the National Environmental Management Waste Act No.59 of 2008 (#NEMWA).

These new Regulations were gazetted by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment in November 2021/ They require “producers” of certain products specified in the ACT (Identified Products) that result in the generation of waste to take responsibility for that waste after the products have been sold or put into the market – the post-consumer phase, and to establish schemes to #collect, #reuse, #recycle, #recover energy from, and /or #dispose of this waste. These schemes are known as EPR Schemes. The intention is to promote a “cradle-to-grave” approach that will incentivise producers to design and package products in ways that minimise the generation of waste and promote efficient resource use. In essence this law transfers the responsibility of managing the waste that emanates from product use to the producers or manufacturers.

?THE OBJECTIVES OF EPR

The key objectives of EPR laws are to ensure that the cost of waste management is borne by the businesses that are producing the waste, and to incentivise good environmental design decisions. It is hoped that producers will design for recyclability and adopt cleaner production measures that preserve the environment.

?WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF EPR?

?All existing producers of EPR identified products are required to register with the Department (EPR Regulations, reg. 4(1)) and to develop and implement an EPR scheme or to join another scheme (reg. 5(1)) The EPR Regulations prescribe the following:

·??????? the general scheme structure and responsibilities,

·??????? the minimum requirements and operational criteria,

·??????? financial arrangements for an EPR scheme, and

·??????? the appropriate monitoring, reporting and evaluation criteria for the scheme.

EPR LAWS AROUND THE WORLD

The EPR Regulations introduced in South Africa are not new. In fact, the Extended Producer Responsibility laws first surfaced in the 1990s in Europe, Asia and Americas. Most countries around the world have some form of packaging legislation governing how particular is handled. Several countries around the world have implemented EPR legislation, often taking the European rules and concepts as a framework or conceptual basis. EPR is found in North America, as much as rules exist in Latin and South America. For example, laws and collective schemes have been operating for a considerable time in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, and India. So, as you can see EPR is not new, South Africa is in step with the developed world in adopting this revolutionary legislation.

Would you like to know more? Stay tuned into this channel or contact us directly.

eWASA (EPR Waste Association of South Africa) Lene Ecroignard Malcolm Whitehouse Adri Spangenberg Lucille Charles

?#WASTEMANAGEMENT #RECYCLING #EXTENDEDPRODUCERRESPONSIBILITY

By Dumisani

eWASA Head of Strategic Projects, Municipalities and SMMEs