Extended Producer Responsibility – origins and evolutions WEEE Forum Conference Malta, 26-27 April 2017 Thomas Lindhqvist International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) Lund University

Total annual emissions of chromium in tonnes 1980s – the prelude Consumption society keeps on growing Waste problems are more in focus Increased interest for waste prevention – though mainly for production waste and pollution Problems with toxics from products in landfills and incinerators Recycling results are overall not impressive Total annual emissions of chromium in tonnes Data source: Kretsloppsdelegationen rapport 1997:14, Fig. 21:3

The challenges Situation in the mid-1980s: Demand for improved waste treatment Demand for more recycling That is More effective systems for collection and recycling More money for collection and recycling Better products (design changes)

1990 – Extended Producer Responsibility Elements of an emerging approach in several countries Report to the Swedish Ministry of Environment (förlängt producentansvar) Translated to English for a UNEP workshop we organised in 1992 “Slowly” accepted and translated to more languages

EPR Principle Principle coined in 1990 Extended = More than before Producer = From municipality to businesses Responsibility = Financial (who pays) Physical (who organises)

Why EPR? From limited recycling to making re-use and recycling the main option Facilitate recycling through design improvements A need to create new incentives for market actors and in particular manufacturers Connect waste management costs to consumption decisions

Introduction of EPR Starting with packaging 1991 German Packaging Ordinance -> Duales System Deutschland (DSD) Followed by other European countries (and non-European) Extended to other product categories: cars, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, tyres, textiles, …

Implementation for Packaging A lot of recycling More recycling of glass and paper/carton New systems for plastics, metals, composites Change of design of packaging – less materials, more recyclable But still many remaining challenges

EPR for complex products Relatively easy to formulate the goals for packaging and other “simple” products More difficult to have reasonable and useful targets for complex products Need for dynamic incentives, where producers are rewarded by cost savings After more than a decade Europe was ready with directives

Problematic features of directive Inconvenience for consumers Recycling of mass and not always value Unclear about the role of producers As a result, weak incentives for new design of products and new take-back systems

What has happened? But also a lot of good results! Focus on collection and simple recovery Compromises Fear of new approaches Lack of control Lack of monitoring But also a lot of good results! Much more collection and recycling, much more interest for end-of-life from producers and others

Products not to be in mixed waste Survey of Swedish citizens 2015 Question: What products used in the household should not be thrown in the mixed waste but discarded into some separate collection system? % Source: Swedish EPA 2015-05-26

Special challenges – products with value Leakage to short-lived second hand markets Leakage to inferior recycling treatment Fluctuating value of materials create volatile situation and unclear recycling conditions

EPR and Morale EPR is not about putting moral blame on producers EPR is about finding effective and efficient solutions to problems Responsibilities should be allocated so that problems are addressed in the best way The one who can change should be given responsibility (= producers) and incentives for change

Thank you for your attention! So … When you work with products you should believe in change and technical development Let’s also believe in opportunities for new and more sustainable products Let’s believe in creativity and new approaches to problems And let’s have policies and practice that reward such changes Thank you for your attention! There are win-win solutions to be discovered in many areas! As here, making recycling possible by clean yoghurt packaging, while also not losing product.