Addendum D: International Best Practice of EPR Schemes by Sector

The German Packaging Act requires all companies that puts packaging in the German market into circulation with its products to register on a web-based public platform known as Zentrale Stelle Verpackungs register (ZSVR), in order to allow for data monitoring and compliance as per the federal packaging law19. Packaging materials include plastic wraps, cardboard boxes, and glass bottles. Producers are required to declare the name of their dual system and packaging quantities on the public platform to ensure transparency20. A distribution ban is issued along with penalty charges to producers who are not registered on ZSVR. Therefore, this has resulted in reduced free ridership in the German packaging industry. In addition, the ZSVR creates packaging minimum standards such as recyclability which is useful to PROs for Eco modulation of fees.

The Japanese Packaging Recycling Act states that if a municipality provides recyclers with a high quality well-sorted packaging waste, the EPR fees due are reduced by 50%. Therefore, this incentivises municipalities to properly sort their packaging waste to ensure that they only pay 50% of the estimated costs, thereby reducing the overall recycling costs for recyclers21.

Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA)

Application: ARA is a non-profit organisation (NPO) that collects, recovers, and manages waste packaging materials in Austria. ARA implemented the flat rate system specifically for small packaging, wherein members placing less than 1,500 kg of household and commercial packaging on the market are obligated to pay a fixed annual fee22. The actual fee amount varies based on the member's turnover and packaging volume, with producers charged a minimum of 90 Euros, a flat fee of 150 Euros, or a standard fee of 3,000 Euros per year23. Members falling under this scheme are exempt from submitting packaging reports and only need to pay the flat fee once annually.

Case learnings: The flat rate scheme offers significant observations regarding the significance of a straightforward and transparent approach in fostering adherence to EPR regulations. By providing fixed fees, it motivates producers to embrace environmentally responsible methods. The precise reporting of the quantity of packaging materials placed on the market by producers is crucial for upholding the system's efficacy.

In 2012, China introduced the Chines E-waste disposal fund scheme for the collection and administration of the funds for the recovery and disposal of Waste of Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The scheme requires producers and importers of EEE to pay a fee for each unit they put in the market via the tax and custom authority. The collected funds are then provided to WEEE certified recyclers as subsidies to support the development of the formal recycling industry under the condition that they provide their proof of recycled and/or disposed WEEE. Failure to adhere to the EPR regulations results in prosecution. This scheme incentives EEE producers to establish their own recycling programs. The government supports them by relaxing the minimum requirements for the establishment and certification of WEEE recycling operations. In over a year, 64 recycling companies were successfully certified and a high number of these companies have started to publicly declare their WEEE recycling data for supervision and monitoring. In 2013, it was reported that a total of 9 020 491 WEEE units were declared. It was however learned that collection was mainly focused on television sets, despite the fund being sourced from other additional EEE product groups. Therefore, the scheme had to be revised in order to ensure that there is a balance between the cost and the revenues generated by a group of EEE. The polluter pays principle was also introduced to combat this.24,25

France eco-modulated system for EEE

Application: The eco-modulated system for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) was introduced in 2010 in France.26 This system incorporates bonuses and/ or penalties that are determined according to specific environmental criteria.27 Producers who offer easily recyclable products are rewarded with bonuses, while a penalty, known as a malus, is applied to products containing materials that hinder the recycling process.28 The criteria used to determine eco-modulated fees vary depending on the category of product in question.

Case learnings: The system fosters the inclination of producers towards designing products that are more recyclable and have minimal environmental consequences. Nevertheless, the complexity and implementation challenges necessitate its integration with an established EPR system for WEEE. To achieve optimal efficacy, it is imperative to establish clear and standardised criteria. Additionally, the significance of diligent monitoring for ensuring compliance and appropriate utilisation of eco-modulated fees has been underscored, providing valuable insights for its successful implementation.

BatteryBack is the largest battery producer compliance scheme operated by Wastecare in the United Kingdom (UK) responsible for the collection and recycling of portable batteries since 2008. The scheme collects portable batteries for its members from retailers, schools and local authorities for a low compliance cost of 0.01 British Pound (R0.23) per battery placed on the market29. By 2016, BatteryBack had already established over 30 000 collection points in the UK30. Through the EPR fees, the scheme managed to develop the first UK’s recycling plant for portable batteries with a 25 000 tonnes capacity, which eliminates the need to ship batteries abroad for processing and thus reduces the costs of recycling31. In addition, BatteryBack promotes increased battery recycling awareness by partnering with big companies in the UK to run battery recycling programmes in schools. An initiative known as Big Battery Hunt was established to provide schools with collection boxes along with prizes for schools with a high amount of collected batteries.29

CleanFARMS is a non-profit organisation based in Canada that runs and funds a program for the collection of obsolete and unwanted pesticides for safe disposal32. Users of pesticides are required to remove caps and labels, and triple rinse their empty containers before they can return them to relevant retail stores or waste collection sites for free, where CleanFARMS bulk collects them every fall. In 2022, two special collection events were held in several regions of Canada and about 323 500 kgs of pesticides were successfully collected. This is an increase by 51% compared to the total pesticides collected in the previous year in the same regions33. Collected containers are shredded, cleaned, and recycled into various products, mostly field drainage tiles. The program is funded through a fee collected for each container sold from CleanFARM’s manufacturer members who have committed to an 80% recovery rate of containers placed on the market. By 2015, a total return of 4.66 million empty pesticides and fertiliser containers was achieved, which represents 60% of the total sold.34

Follow 3 steps to ensure that unwanted pesticides & old livestock/equine medications can be returned in the fall:

Gather – Collect your unwanted pesticides & old livestock/animal medications.

Place – All items need to be placed in a sealable or spill-proof container.

Return – Check to find when this program is taking place in your area then return items to your local collection site.

Crop Life SA is an organisation that serves manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of agrochemicals including pesticides to protect crops and human health. A voluntary membership is offered which includes a commitment to abide by the association’s code of conduct. Crop Life SA offers pesticide container management in alignment with the EPR regulations. The waste container management system is operated with collectors and recyclers that have been vetted and approved as reliable. Empty pesticide containers are collected, rinsed a number of times then bundled and sent for processing where it is processed such that the plastic can be accepted by plastic recyclers. More than 76% of empty containers are collected and recycled through the services of the Crop Life SA approved collectors and recyclers.35

The ROSE foundation is a voluntarily established EPR scheme to ensure the responsible collection and recycling of used oil generated in South Africa. The initiative was founded by the leading companies in the sector after the government withdrew support for the re-refining of used oil36. Since then, the foundation supports the collection, storage and recycling of used oil in South Africa by ensuring that oil collectors and processors are accredited, abide by the law and well trained to deliver responsible services. Currently, over 1.5 billion litres of used oil have been successfully collected and recycled as a result of the initiative and about 21 of leading companies in the oil sector are now members of the foundation37. Members are required to pay a contribution fee of 10c per litre of new oil sold in the market in order to fund the operations of the foundation. Additionally, the collected fees are used to support oil collectors and processors with an incentive scheme, training and equipment.38

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