Blog Posts on Rachel Langhill

Under a regulation from the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act of 2016, which was recently approved, producers of packaging and printed paper in Ontario will be required to assume full financial and operational responsibility for collecting, managing and financing designated materials, which up until now only required producers to contribute 50% f...

​This blog is part of a wider series from Lorax EPI, taking a deep-dive into the current and future landscapes for packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations on a global scale.At this time, minimal mandatory packaging EPR exists in Africa, though some countries are now entering the early stages of implementing such regulations. With Sout...

This article was updated on 16th July.​On 12th July, Maine's governor signed a bill to establish a statewide packaging EPR program into law, and a similar bill in Oregon passed through both the House and Senate and is just one step away from being signed into law. This means that the first packaging EPR schemes will soon come into force in the USA. So, wh...

This blog is part of a wider series from Lorax EPI, taking a deep-dive into the current and future landscapes for packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations on a global scale.When it comes to packaging EPR in North America, legislation tends to be regionally focused rather than nationally captured. In Canada, several provinces have varyi...

Lorax EPI is pleased to be involved in endorsing the position statement released by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation today (15th June) for packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).It has become clear that we need a circular economy for packaging materials in which they never become waste or litter in our environment. Packaging that cannot be elimina...

The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, which was passed by the EU Commission in May 2019, enacts bans on certain single-use products, recycled content targets for some plastics and measures to reduce plastic food and beverage containers. It also requires Member States to ensure that national laws mandate new labels for sanitary towels, wet wipes, tobacco f...

​On 17 May 2021, the Governor of Washington State signed a bill into law which bans several expanded polystyrene items, mandates post-consumer recycled content in certain packaging and requires some producer reporting.By 1 April 2022 and annually thereafter, producers of plastic trash bags, plastic beverage containers and household cleaning and personal c...

Last week, the Lorax EPI team gave a workshop on global packaging EPR developments as part of the Sustainability in Packaging US 2021 Conference. Our presenters took some time to investigate the true costs of packaging extended producer responsibility on a per-capita and per-product basis as well as discuss major changes in worldwide EPR programs that wil...

On 15th March 2021, the New York Senate Majority passed its one-house budget resolution. While most of the proposal is focused on providing emergency aid to help the state recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it also includes initiatives that prioritise environmental justice and pollution reduction. Specifically, the Senate Majority one-house State Budget ...

​In many countries around the world, producers must pay levies on all product packaging and on the products they sell. These levies, or extended producer responsibility (EPR) funding, is to build infrastructure for collecting materials to be recycled.Packaging levies started in Germany in the early 1990s with der Grüne Punkt (or Green Dot) and quickly spr...

Lorax EPI is dedicated to simplifying global sustainability. Brand owners, retailers, manufacturers, producers and other industry professionals rely on our in-house software and international team of consultants to comply with wide-ranging stewardship obligations, keep ahead of legislation and advance their sustainability goals. One of the main ways our c...

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, launched the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment in October 2018. Signatories of the Commitment represent over one-fifth of all plastic packaging produced worldwide, and over 500 businesses, governments and industry organisations are united behind a common vision and ta...

​While many clients rely on Lorax EPI for our cloud-based EPR software to assist with legal product stewardship reporting obligations, we have been getting more and more inquiries for our environmental consulting services recently. EPR legislation differs from country to country (and sometimes province to province), making regulatory compliance a complex ...

In April 2018, the UK announced that it was establishing the world's first Plastics Pact as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy. The Pact is meant to bring together all key stakeholders to move towards a circular economy for plastics and plastic packaging in particular. In the last few weeks, two new national Pacts have been anno...

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 was first introduced to the US House of Representatives and the Senate on 11th February as SB 3263 and HB 5845. Then on 11th June, a related bill of the same name, SB 3944, was introduced to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.If passed, this latest bill would amend the...

South Korea's amendment decree of the Rules on the Packaging Materials and Packaging Methods will come into force by 1st July 2020, affecting producers and importers of small electronics and re-packaged products. The amendment comes after consultations in January 2019 regarding 'Measures Against Overpackaging', which are part of the implementation plan ...

The UK Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which leads the UK Plastics Pact, is collecting data by 26th June 2020 in order to track progress towards the Pact's established 2025 targets. Target 1: Eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging items.Target 2: All plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable.Target 3: 70% ...

​On 26th May 2020, Repak, Ireland's packaging EPR regime, issued some updates to its 2020 reporting guidelines for its members. Key changes are as follows: Plastic Reporting CategoriesBeginning for Half 1 2020 data, plastic reporting categories will be divided into the following sections and subsections:PlasticRecycled rigid plasticRecycled flexible plast...

In 2018, Australia announced four new National Packaging Targets to be reached by 2025:100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging;70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled or composted;50% average recycled content in packaging; andPhase out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging.​The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation...

​Lorax EPI's US Managing Director Victor Bell was scheduled to present at the 35th Annual World Petrochemical Conference last month in New Orleans. While the in-person event has been postponed until next year, Bell has recorded his presentation, Introduction to Policy and Infrastructure, and it is now available for distribution.Here is a look at some of t...

​Since the beginning of 2020, there has been a trend around the world to update labelling schemes for packaging sorting instructions. These updated schemes simplify and harmonise countrywide sorting instructions, emphasise the importance of consumer education regarding recycling and highlight the need for a clean recycling stream.​​Some examples of update...

​With the rapid spread of COVID-19 comes a surge of uncertainty, a shift in legislative focus and a wave of temporary policies to maintain public health and minimise exposure to the virus.​​The general public is being directed to wash our hands more, avoid touching our faces and cough into elbows. People around the world are stockpiling plastic-wrapped to...