Extended Producer Responsibility
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a suite of policy tools for reducing the generation of wastes by promoting greater recycling and resource recovery and encouraging more sustainable product design.
EPR schemes shift the responsibility for nominated product wastes to the producers or suppliers of those products according to the Polluter Pays Principle.
EPR schemes can take many different forms, including:
- advanced disposal fees
- product take-back policies
- information and labelling schemes
- deposit / refund schemes.
Program Overview
In June 2005 the Minister for the Environment launched an Extended Producer Responsibility Policy Statement for Western Australia. This policy statement outlines a partnership process to facilitate the development and implementation of EPR schemes in WA.
The Waste Management Board, through the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), is implementing EPR in WA using a collaborative process involving industry, local and state government and the wider community. A Technical Reference Panel will be established to support the implementation of EPR and provide advice to DEC in critical areas, as requested.
The first stage towards the development of specific EPR schemes is for the Department of Environment and Conservation to publish a priority waste list for EPR . This will outline priority areas where the development of EPR schemes is considered necessary to reduce problem wastes. It is intended that EPR schemes will be undertaken by industry on a voluntary basis, and the operational details of individual EPR schemes for particular products will be determined by the relevant industries.
Once EPR priority areas are announced, the Department of Environment and Conservation, in consultation with relevant industries will establish performance targets for EPR schemes based on best practice international standards. If targets are not met, or significant progress towards meeting targets has not been made in an agreed timeframe, then it may be necessary for the Minister for the Environment to introduce mandatory EPR schemes under powers that will be provided in the new waste legislation for WA.
Publications and Resources
More Information
For more information about Extended Producer Responsibility in WA please contact the Senior Project Coordinator - Business & Industry in the Waste Management Branch of the Department of Environment and Conservation by email or telephone (08) 6467 5482.
