​Across the globe we are starting to see more movement on mandatory requirements being established for post-consumer recycled content (PCR) to be included in packaging. With the likes of Sweden and a handful of the US states already having mandatory requirements in place, will it be long until we see more countries implement these requirements? With the...

​The French producer responsibility organization for packaging, CITEO, released specific and thorough labelling guidance for their members at the end of last year, to help producers follow the less-detailed requirements of the law. As explained in a previous Lorax EPI blog from last year, the French law requires producers to include component pictograms (...

Maine's extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill, otherwise known as LD 1541, was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills on 12 July 2021. It was the first of its kind in the United States and, when it comes into force in 2026, it will establish a European-style producer responsibility system in Maine. This will mean that producers of packaging materia...

​For companies that are new to the world of environmental compliance, it can be difficult to know where to start. A number of countries both in Europe and across the world require you to report the amount of packaging, waste electronics (WEEE) and batteries that you place on the market, as part of extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws. There will be...

​EPR legislation, SB54 or the Plastic Producer Responsibility Act, was signed by Governor Newsom into law on 30th June 2022. The bill requires that businesses in California take responsibility to pay for the cost associated with the recovery of materials they sell in the state.SB54 passing has kept the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, a plastics fee ballo...

​We are now fast approaching the upcoming changes in Germany for anyone who places packaging onto the German market. If you are a producer/retailer who places packaging onto the German market then you will need to make sure you are compliant by 1 July 2022. If you are a producer/retailer who places electronic equipment or batteries onto the German market...

​The amount of plastic waste is increasing exponentially. One million plastic bottles are purchased each minute and five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. Of the seven billion tonnes of plastic produced each year, only 10% is recycled. Our planet is choking on plastic. This calls into question whether our current frameworks and legislat...

​EU waste framework directive (amended 2018) introduced the modulation of the financial contribution to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. This minimises waste packaging generation and incentivises the designs with better recyclability and sustainability. In other words, if your packaging is easier to be collected and recycled in the local i...

3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) have been brought up more regularly in countries' waste management policies. One of the key elements – 'Reuse', has been integrated into legislative requirements for packaging in some countries.There are three main types of requirements regarding reusable packaging:Mandatory targets for reusable packaging have been s...

​Whilst navigating the complex world of Extended Producer Responsibility it can be overwhelming for the Producer to know where to start. Lorax EPI are here to help! It starts with finding out if you are obligated to report by market; if you are obligated to report the next question is always, what data do you have? It allows you to record your packaging i...

​On 10 January 2022, the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment posted a new decree as part of the Law on Environmental Protection. This has given essential updates to aspects of the law with which many companies may find themselves needing to be compliant, as EPR regulations begin to come into force from 2024.The biggest change to t...

​To tackle the plastics waste pollution and establish a circular economy, the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has imposed mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility on Plastic packaging. The requirements were laid down in 'Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging' published on 16th February 2022. It's ...

​In the United States, post-consumer recycled content (PCR) requirements for packaging are starting to be established by several state governments. These laws largely apply to plastics, but most packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills introduced this legislative session either include PCR requirements by material type, for all materials, or...

​It is the countdown for the beginning of the UK plastic packaging tax.Next month, on 1 April 2022, if you import or manufacture more than 10 tonnes of plastic packaging annually, you will be obligated to register with HMRC for the UK plastics packaging tax. The first accounting period will be from 1 April to 30 June, and the first tax return and payment ...

​The United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) will host the fifth session for global leaders from 193 Member States to share best practices for sustainability from 28 February – 2 March 2022. On the theme of 'Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals', all Member States and stakeholders were asked for comments and i...

Whilst the beginning of 2022 brought many new producer obligations, packaging requirements and legislative discussions, the end of 2021 also marked the end of a legacy, as Lorax EPI wished our US Managing Director, Victor Bell, a happy retirement after more than 30 years of service in the environmental industry.Victor Bell is a Lifetime Certified Packagin...