The design of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for packaging will play a decisive role in determining whether EU member states are able to meet their obligations under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), according to a study commissioned by the industry association Europen. It was carried out by Circpack, the consulting and certification arm of French environmental services group Veolia.
The study found that there is no inherently superior EPR model. Rather, success depends on specific design features: granular fee structures, consolidated operational responsibility, format-specific data and a transparent methodology.
The study notes that packaging recycling rates in Europe still vary widely. In 2023, the EU‑27 generated just under 80 million tonnes of packaging waste, with an average recycling rate of 64.1 per cent. However, the authors pointed to significant differences from one member state to another: Belgium had a recycling rate of 79.7 per cent, while Romania reached just 37.3 per cent. Recycling rates for plastic packaging were substantially lower, with the Eurostat average standing at 42.1 per cent in 2023....
