​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...

Lorax EPI would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! With the new year comes new obligations. This blog explores some of the global environmental packaging legislation that came into effect on 1 January 2022.Labelling: France's mandatory labelling system has been updated to obligate use of the Triman logo on all packaging. Sorting instructions must be ...

​Extended producer responsibility (EPR) in Russia is governed by two main bodies: the Russian government and the Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU. Member States of the EAEU include Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, and regulations made by this body affect all affiliated countries. The main EPR system in Russia is set by the Russian gove...

​The Middle East and Africa (MEA) have historically been smaller producers of waste. However, this is all beginning to change, as many areas within the region are beginning to rapidly urbanize and grow. In some of the higher income Middle Eastern countries, waste production per capita can be up to 2kg per day. In Sub-Saharan Africa, annual waste generatio...

Due to changes in French law, there are now even stricter regulations regarding the labels on packaging in France. As a result, the main producer responsibility organisation, CITEO, has published labelling guidelines for their members, showing the mandatory labels to be used.France is introducing new sorting labels, and part of this change expands the use...

​On the 8th of October 2021, Kenya became the 12th nation to join the Ellen Macarthur Foundation's Plastic Pact network by launching their own Plastic Pact. Led by Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya (SIB-K), and receiving support from 26 organisations, Kenya's Plastic Pact (KPP) is an attempt to move Kenya towards a circular economy for plastic, reduce ...