EPR and Reuse - The Future of Waste Prevention

One third of all global waste is packaging waste. In the UK alone, over 10 million tonnes of packaging waste is produced annually (according to the Scottish Government) and the vast majority ends up in landfills with a plethora of associated environmental costs.

Governments and political unions have used an array of legislative mechanisms to try and reduce the vast amount of incorrectly disposed packaging waste seen globally. One such mechanism that has been gaining momentum in recent years is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) whereby the fiscal responsibility for managing and correctly disposing or repurposing packaging waste falls with the producer.

What is EPR?

EPR is defined by the European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment as ‘a policy tool that extends the producer’s financial and/or operational responsibility for a product to include the management of the post-consumer stage’. 

Without EPR regulations in place, producers bear no responsibility for the waste generated by the products that they profit from. By making it mandatory for producers to pay for waste recovery and recycling, it forces them to consider the lifecycle of their products beyond the marketplace during the design process. 

In Europe, EPR schemes are used by national governments to delegate responsibility for meeting EU recycling and recovery targets and are now an integral aspect of waste management policy across the continent. As of December 31st 2024, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive has made it mandatory for all EU Member States to implement EPR schemes with the aim of improving enforcement and increasing international harmonisation within the reuse and recycling space. 

The UK is not far behind as by March 31st this year, non-household premises including all businesses of over 10 full-time employees will be required to recycle all recyclable waste streams. 

EPR and Reuse

While recycling tends to be the focus of EPR policy development, reuse systems are also well positioned to benefit from a more stringent regulatory environment. The non-profit organisation Upstream recently published a paper titled ‘Embracing Reuse in U.S Packaging EPR Programmes’ where they outline how Producer Responsibility Organisations can support the transition to reusable packaging by using EPR schemes.  

Emphasising waste prevention and reuse over recycling is imperative if we want to avoid the negative environmental impacts of packaged goods. The best EPR policies place the burden of responsibility up the production chain. This forces producers to design their packaging with the best environmental outcomes in mind or bear the associated financial costs of collecting and disposing of their packaging. Therefore, it makes sense that reuse is being championed by EPR as collection and disposal does not become necessary until the end of the product’s lifecycle.

A major concern for consumers is that they will bear the brunt of EPR as it will raise the price of common goods. This has been supported by compliance specialist Valpak whose research suggests that EPR regulations could increase the price of the average shopping basket of goods by 0.6%. Making reuse more commonplace and accessible to the average consumer will negate this issue, benefitting them financially when compared to single-use alternatives.

How does EPR relate to Cauli?

The foodservice sector has been pioneering reusable packaging alternatives and is also integral to the day-to-day lives of the vast majority of the general population. It is not a shock that EPR professionals see foodservice as the pathway of choice to scale and popularise reuse for the masses. 

Cauli is at the forefront of the reuse revolution and is the largest solution of its kind in the UK. The Cauli Reuse System is a circular economy solution where all packaging is tracked using AI and can be reused up to 400 times. All containers are recycled at the end of their lifespan, closing the loop and ensuring that waste is minimised.

As the tracking and end-of-life recycling of the reusable containers is assumed as part of the overall Cauli product, Cauli does not meet the majority of the criteria that makes EPR reporting necessary. Given the steep upward trajectory of EPR in Europe, switching to a reuse system like Cauli’s will soon become a necessity across the foodservice sector to circumvent these regulations.

The future?

With EPR reporting becoming mandatory across the EU and gaining traction globally, the reuse sector is in a strong position to profit. However, current EPR legislation still remains largely focused on recycling. 

So, while these recent legislative measures to embed EPR into European production are an indication of progress, a shift in prioritisation and funding towards the reduction and reuse of packaging will move the focus of EPR from waste management to waste prevention. This needs to become a priority in the coming years if EPR is to truly have a lasting impact in reducing global packaging waste and shifting overall production behaviours for the better.

About the writer

Joseph Smith is an MSc Environmental Geography graduate from the University of Amsterdam originally from London. After 4 years in the Netherlands working in ESG recruitment and writing freelance articles about sustainable developments in the start-up sphere, he relocated back to London to pursue his passion for reuse with Cauli.