Why Extended Producer Responsibility And The Circular Economy Demand Boardroom Action

The concept of extended producer responsibility, or EPR, which makes producers responsible for their products along the entire lifecycle, including at the post-consumer stage, is not new. However, as efforts to promote a more circular economy ramp up, public pressure has placed a heightened onus on corporations, and thus their directors, to take responsibility for the products they place into the marketplace and to bear the costs, both economical and environmental, of increased recycling obligations. The potential to mitigate climate change stressors, paired with the argument that such policies prompt better competition and lead to benefits for consumers and broader economic gains, has resulted in policy makers across the globe heeding public calls to put in place measures to support and move towards a more circular economy, one that is based on the reuse and regeneration of materials and products.