Starting in 2022, Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy that regulates a producer’s responsibility for a product throughout product’s life cycle. A producer takes the responsibility for financing collection, recycling and end-of-life disposal of WEEE, batteries, accumulators and packaging and other EPR product categories, Under EPR regulations, a producer of products subject to EPR requirements must mitigate the environmental impacts of their products throughout the entire product life cycle.
The EPR obligations of a producer are mainly regulated by the following EU directives:
1. WEEE Directive
2. Battery Directive
3. Packaging Directive
In some other countries, the EPR regulations have been extended to more products and categories, e.g. France.
Generally speaking, the EPR registration number is one of the existing registration numbers with the local authorities and/or one of the official EPR organisations in the relevant countries. Please note that you need to register in all the countries where you manufacture / sell / import products. There is no single EPR number for the European Union.
What is a producer?
A producer is defined as the party who first puts a product subject to EPR requirements onto the market in the respective country, e.g. Germany or France
You are considered to be a producer, if you:
1. manufacture products that are subject to EPR requirements in the relevant country, or
2. import products that are subject to EPR requirements into the relevant country, or
3. sell products that are subject to EPR requirements in the relevant country and your company is not based in that country.
For example, you sell electronical toys to the end users in Germany and France from China, you are considered to be a producer, therefore you must be EPR compliant in both Germany and France.
If you are a producer of products subject to EPR regulations, you are obliged to have your EPR registration numbers.
If you are a producer and do not have EPR registration numbers, you are required to register to obtain them.
If you are not a producer but you are a seller of products subject to EPR regulations, you need to obtain the applicable EPR numbers from your upstream supplier.
If you are not a producer and cannot obtain the applicable EPR registration numbers from your upstream supplier, you are required to register to obtain them before sales.
Please note that you are not allowed to sell before having obtained the EPR Numbers.
waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) producers is obliged to finance the collection and recycling of the end-of-life equipment produced, sold, or imported on the market.
On January 1, 2007, the law introduced the principle of “Extended Producer Responsibility” (E.P.R) for textile products in sections of clothing, household linen and footwear sold in France, targeting household use. Professional functioned products are excluded.
Companies placing furniture on the market, especially if they import foreign products, must assign to each product an environmental levy. The amount of the environmental levy is determined according to a single, national tariff scale for each product. This category covers household and professional furniture.
This category covers paper products which is for graphic or printing function, such as blank printing paper, printed items such as user manuals, wall papers, gift cards or advertising inserts.
Any company or wholesaler that first introduces any type of battery into the French and German market, whether the battery is sold separately or incorporated in electrical or electronic equipment, is responsible for organizing the collection, recycling, and disposal of any used batteries that it sells.
Due to the EU Packaging Directive, all those who sell packaged products to French and German end customers must license their packaging.
| EPR CATEGORIES | DESCRIPTION | EXAMPLES | GERMANY | FRANCE | OTHER COUNTRIES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) | Waste from electrical and electronic Equipment | Lamps, screens and professional electronic products | √ | √ | More information about our services in 35 countries |
| Batteries | Waste from batteries and accumulators | Portable, automotive and industrial batteries | √ | √ | Just contact us for your own country portfolio |
| Packaging | Waste from packaging | Cardboard, plastic and glass | √ | √ | |
| Furniture | Waste from furniture | Household and professional furniture | √ | ||
| Textiles | Waste from textiles | Clothing textiles, household linens and shoes | √ | ||
| Paper | Waste from graphics papers | User manuals, gift cards, advertising inserts | √ | ||
| Tyres | Waste from tyres | Automotive, agrarian and heavy handling civil tyres | √ |
