Recycling Legislation based on the Concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

The EPR indicator refers to the existence or strengthening of policies on recycling and waste management targeting specific end-of-life products or waste streams, and involves producers in recycling or waste management activities. Such policies make producers and importers physically and financially responsible for used product take-back, collection and treatment, and over the last two decades have broadened in scope to cover products such as used packaging, electronics, batteries, and end-of-life vehicles. Asian economies are currently facing increases in amounts of difficult-to-treat wastes and associated environmental risks, and many, including China, India, Indonesia, or Malaysia, have already introduced or are considering EPR-based legislation, particularly that targeting electronic and packaging wastes. In addition to recycling legislation, EPR can be implemented to promote design for the environment (DfE), recycling and the used product take-back system either on a voluntary basis, by individual producers or producer associations, or as a voluntary agreement between government and individual producers or producer associations.