Call for unified response to regulations

The amended extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations require producers and importers in the electrical, lighting and paper and packaging sectors to take practical and financial responsibility for the end-of-life of a range of identified products.

“EPR is a globally applied approach and will change how producers, brand owners, retailers and importers design, make and sell their products to keep them in a circular production and recycling loop as long as practically possible,” says Francois Marais, GM of Fibre Circle, the producer responsibility organisation (PRO) for the paper and paper packaging sector.

SA’s EPR regulations aim to provide the framework for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EPR schemes by producers, ensuring the effective and efficient management of the identified product at the end of its life and encouraging and enabling the implementation of the circular economy initiatives.

In terms of the paper sector, any South African company or brand that makes or imports paper or paper packaging for distribution in SA is required to pay an EPR fee per sales ton of product.

The paper products included in the new regulations are newspapers; magazines; office, graphic, mixed and other papers; corrugated cases and kraft paper; liquid board packaging; and labels and paper sacks. Each of these categories has been set yearly collection and recycling targets for the next five years.

The regulations also make the producer or group of producers responsible for the establishment of an EPR scheme, the development and implementation of an EPR plan and compliance against each product’s targets for recovery and recycling.

Marais says that while the new EPR legislation allows for producers to establish their own EPR scheme, it is more sensible to join an existing scheme that has been established by a recognised and registered PRO. “We advise companies and brand owners against going it alone as this could become more onerous and costly.”

With industry collaboration critical to the success of EPR, Fibre Circle has invited all producers and importers of paper and paper packaging products — whether primary, secondary or tertiary — to join the EPR scheme under its banner. According to Marais, the benefit of this is that the industry’s interests can be collectively represented. Fibre Circle works with member companies in similar product classes to identify shared constraints and opportunities for collaboration and optimisation among member companies, municipalities, other PROs and the informal sector.

BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

“EPR will see an investment in collection infrastructure, not only providing consumers with more convenient recycling facilities but also a concerted recovery effort at the preconsumer or postindustrial phase. Intensive consumer awareness campaigns will also help to drive behaviour change,” he adds.

“We are making our circle bigger to reduce the burden on the environment, take responsibility for our products and support a thriving circular economy. When it comes to preserving our planet, common problems can only benefit from shared solutions.”

COMMON PROBLEMS CAN ONLY BENEFIT FROM SHARED SOLUTIONS