The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) resources explore how policy frameworks, governance models and implementation practices are evolving to strengthen producer responsibility, improve end-of-life outcomes and support the transition to more circular value chains.
EPR is a policy approach that shifts responsibility for products to producers, incentivising improved product design, waste prevention and higher‑value material recovery. As a key instrument in the transition to a circular economy, EPR holds producers accountable for internalising the costs of products’ environmental impacts across their full life cycle, particularly at end of life. When well designed, EPR schemes can drive systemic change to shift incentives upstream, supporting waste prevention, reducing pollution, strengthening collection and recycling systems, and encouraging more durable and recyclable products. In doing so, EPR can also improve transparency and accountability across value chains.
The resources presented below explore how EPR schemes are evolving and being strengthened through improved governance, economic incentives, data flows and transparency. Together, they demonstrate how better‑aligned EPR systems can go beyond (compliance‑driven) waste management towards enabling more circular product systems and business models, contributing to system‑wide transformation.