Extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies aim to make producers responsible for managing the waste from their products and packaging throughout the value chain. By shifting financial and management responsibility for end-of-life products to the manufacturers and importers, EPR policies provide strong incentives for producers to reduce waste and shift towards more sustainable product design. There are several examples from around the world that demonstrate how EPR policies have been effective in reducing plastic waste:

One of the most well-known successful EPR programs is Ontario’s Blue Box Recycling Program, which was introduced in Canada’s Ontario province in the 1980s. Under this policy, municipalities provide curbside collection of recyclable materials like plastic, glass and aluminum containers. The costs of collecting, sorting and reprocessing these materials are borne by producers through an industry funding organization called Stewardship Ontario. By shifting the financial responsibility away from municipalities and onto producers, the program stimulated packaging redesign towards recyclability and increased the recovery rates of valuable materials. Over the past 30 years, the program has led to consistent increases in diversion rates. It is estimated that between 86-90% of Blue Box materials are now diverted from landfills through recycling or composting.

Another notable EPR policy is Germany’s Green Dot program introduced in 1991. The Green Dot, or Grüner Punkt, trademark is licensed by Germany’s Duales System Deutschland (DSD) to packaging producers. License fees paid by companies to DSD are used to fund curbside collection and sorting of packaging waste. The program led to major changes in Germany’s recycling infrastructure through standardized collection and increased public awareness. By 2017, Germany’s recycling rate for plastic packaging was over 50%. Key to its success was the requirement that all packaging carry the Green Dot logo, providing producers full financial responsibility without exceptions. The scheme has since been replicated in many other European countries.

One of the earliest plastic bag-specific EPR policies was introduced by Ireland in 2002. Under this policy, retailers are required to charge customers for each plastic bag provided at checkout. The per-bag levy, which is paid by retailers to a state-approved Compliance Scheme, was originally €0.15 but increased to €0.25 in 2007. Revenues generated from the levy are used to fund reusable bag promotion campaigns and environmental projects like beach cleanups. The plastic bag levy resulted in Ireland achieving dramatic reductions – usage declined by over 90% within the first year. A 2016 review found single-use plastic bag consumption remained very low at 21 bags per person compared to an estimated 328 bags prior to the levy.

California became the first state in the U.S. to implement an EPR policy for packaging when its Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act took effect in 2016. Under the law, mattress producers are required to develop and implement stewardship plans approved by state regulators. The plans outline how each brand will finance and provide for free mattress recycling services statewide through approved third parties. In just the first few years, the mattress recycling rate increased to over 80% as producers supported convenient collection infrastructure. The success indicates individual producer responsibility models can work effectively in the North American context when regulations mandate measurable goals and transparency.

These highlighted programs provide real-world examples of how EPR policies have significantly reduced plastic waste and changed consumer behavior when the financial burden is placed on producers versus taxpayers or municipalities. Key factors contributing to their success include full producer funding and involvement in waste management systems, sustained or increasing costs borne by producers tied to the volume of products put on the market, standardization that increases collection convenience, and measurability through set targets and reporting requirements. Looking to the future, EPR presents a promising policy approach with potential for even broader application to other problematic plastic items if designed and implemented comprehensively with the right incentives and oversight structure in place. These case studies demonstrate extended producer responsibility can deliver impressive reductions in plastic pollution when implemented successfully.