Factsheet on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for used packaging
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) provides a longstanding and successful legislative framework, enabling continuous innovation and environmental improvements, sustainable growth and jobs. With ‘reduction of the environmental impact of packaging’ as one of its two objectives, the PPWD has been a key driver of the steady increase in packaging recycling and recovery rates since its adoption in 1994 and contributes to a continuous decoupling of the amount of packaging placed on the EU market from economic growth.
In July 2014, the European Commission published a proposal to review recycling and other waste-related targets in the EU, to encourage the transition towards a Circular Economy through the use of waste as a resource. It also aims to improve the transparency and cost effectiveness of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes by defining minimum requirements in the Waste Framework Directive (WFD).