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THE ROLE OF EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR) IN THE TRANSITION TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Abstract
The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has emerged as a key pillar of environmental policies, designed to shift the financial and operational burden of waste management from governments and consumers to producers. This paper explores the legal framework surrounding EPR, examining its impact on recycling practices in various sectors, such as electronics, packaging and end-of-life vehicles. The EPR aims to incentivise producers to design more sustainable products by making them responsible for their entire life cycle, including proper take-back and disposal. In the European Union, laws such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (Directive 2012/19/EU) and the Packaging Waste Directive (Directive 2018/852 /EU) are key examples of how EPR is being implemented to enhance recycling efforts. The aim is to identify the legal challenges associated with EPR, such as defining producer responsibility within global supply chains, ensuring compliance with regulations by monitoring their effective and efficient enforcement, and how critical issues arising from the economic impact of enforcement on small and medium-sized enterprises can be addressed. The work also highlights how EPR contributes to a circular economy by encouraging the recovery and reuse of materials, thereby reducing environmental impact. The increasing prevalence of EPR-based regulations globally underlines its importance in promoting sustainable and resource-efficient practices.
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