As countries race to reduce waste and boost recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations are quickly becoming powerful global policies that are reshaping how companies design, package, and take responsibility for their products. Estimates indicate that more than 70 countries worldwide have implemented EPR frameworks for one or more product categories. Europe is the most mature region, with approximately 40–45 countries operating established EPR schemes, while adoption continues to grow across Asia, the Americas, and several African countries with early stage programs.
In the United States for example, more than half a dozen states are quickly implementing EPR legislation, with several more states expected to follow suit. (Read Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws in the US: EPR regulations explained.)
Under EPR laws, producers are responsible for the collection, recycling, and proper disposal of the packaging and products they place on the market. Organizations producing and/or selling internationally must stay informed about global EPR regulations to avoid penalties and streamline compliance across multiple markets.
The first established EPR regulation was Germany’s Packaging Ordinance (Verpackungsverordnung [VerpackV]) in 1991. The passing of VerpackV was fueled by the fact that waste—particularly packaging waste (half of landfill volume and a third of waste)—was pushing the capacity of the country’s landfills, requiring nationwide change.
Below are some of the more established global EPR programs organizations should be aware of now.
Canada
In Canada, most provinces are now transitioning fully to EPR, particularly for packaging and printed paper, placing responsibility on producers.
EPR programs:
- Identify end-of-life management of products as the responsibility of producers (e.g., brand owners, first importers, or manufacturers)
- Funding is provided by producers
- Costs can be internalized as a factor of production or may be passed on to consumers
Product stewardship programs:
- Historically shared responsibility among producers, governments, and consumers
- Relied on regulated environmental fees or public funding
- Are increasingly being converted into full EPR programs under provincial policy reforms
Requirements:
- Registration with provincial EPR programs or Producer Responsibility Organizations (e.g., Recycle BC, Circular Materials)
- Annual reporting of packaging sold by material type and weight
- Payment of eco modulated program fees based on packaging category and performance
Penalties may include fines, enforcement actions, or suspension of the ability to sell regulated products within a province.
European Union
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) replaces the former Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD). The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will apply from 12 August 2026. Unlike the directive, it establishes uniform, directly applicable requirements across all EU Member States.
Requirements:
- Applies to all economic operators placing packaging on the EU market
- Packaging must meet EU recyclability performance criteria
- Mandatory recycled content targets for plastic packaging apply from 2030
- PFAS restrictions in food contact packaging apply from August 2026
- Producers must register with national EPR schemes, report packaging data, and pay eco modulated fees to fund collection and recycling
Penalties may include fines, product withdrawal, or market access restrictions.
Japan
The Container and Packaging Recycling Law (1997) in Japan obligates producers to fund the recycling of certain packaging materials. In recent years, Japan has introduced additional circular economy obligations, which supplement rather than replace the core packaging EPR framework.
Requirements:
- Separate and recycle plastics, paper, glass, and metal packaging
- Pay fees to designated recycling organizations
- Submit annual recycling plans and reports
Penalties include administrative orders, fines, or business restrictions, depending on severity.
South Korea
South Korea operates one of the strictest EPR systems globally, under the Resource Circulation Act (officially the Framework Act on Resource Circulation). This law aims to transform the nation into a “resource-circulating society” by minimizing waste and maximizing recycling and reuse.
Requirements:
- Reduce packaging weight and improve recyclability
- Register with the Korea Environment Corporation (KECO)
- Report annual sales and packaging volumes; pay fees by material type
Penalties include heavy fines, mandatory corrective actions, and reputational risk from public disclosure of violators.
Other notable global markets
- Australia: The National Packaging Targets require companies to ensure that 100% of packaging is recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. PProducers participate through a co regulatory, state linked stewardship system led by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO).
- Brazil: Brazil’s National Policy on Solid Waste (PNRS) requires manufacturers, importers, distributors, and sellers of packaging to implement reverse-logistics systems under its solid-waste framework (Law 12.305) so packaging is reused or recycled rather than simply discarded.
- Chile: Under Law 20.920, Chile operates a mandatory EPR system in which producers of priority products, including packaging, must establish collection, recovery, and recycling schemes and meet government-set goals.
- China: The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste expands regulations for electronics and packaging, requiring registration and recycling reporting under sector specific regulations.
- France: Since the 1992 law now codified under Article L541-10 of the French Environmental Code, producers placing packaging, paper, textiles, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), batteries, and other product types on the French market must finance or organize the end-of-life management (collection, sorting, recycling) of their items, and, as of January 1, 2025, this has been extended to industrial and commercial packaging as well.
- India: The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 (with amendments in 2022), mandates that producers, importers, and brand-owners of plastic packaging in India register and take responsibility for collecting, recycling, or disposing of the waste they place on the market.
- New Zealand: Voluntary EPR initiatives for packaging have been introduced, with mandatory requirements expected in the near future.
- Sweden: Under Swedish regulation (e.g., Ordinance [2022:1274] for packaging) effective from January 1, 2023, companies that manufacture, fill, import, or sell packaging or packaged products in Sweden are legally required to take financial or operational responsibility for the collection, recycling, and treatment of that packaging, including appointing or affiliating with an approved Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO).
- United Kingdom: The UK’s new EPR for packaging regime makes producers financially responsible for the full cost of managing household packaging waste, including collection, recycling, and disposal, under regulations that are now in force, with fees applying from 2025.
As EPR regulations continue to grow globally, organizations face difficult tasks to ensure compliance in the countries where they both operate and distribute products. Centralizing packaging data, harmonizing materials for recyclability, and working with approved EPR organizations can simplify both the reporting and compliance process.
Meet our EPR and global sustainability experts:
Ethan Redden, Associate Consultant, Circularity and Carbon Reduction Consulting, BSI
Gouri Ganbavale, PhD, Senior Consultant, Climate Risk and Resilience Consulting, BSI
Kimberly Rodriguez, Consultant, Sustainable Supply Chains Consulting, BSI
