EPR Club | DSD Lunch Debate

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a key principle for efficient waste management in the EU. Through EPR-systems, resources are channeled back into production processes and can be used as high quality secondary raw-materials by industry. Efficient EPR-systems can provide the complex coordination procedure that is necessary along the value chain. However, EPR-systems can only fulfil this important circular economy function if the waste hierarchy is respected so that resources are kept in the loop.

The EU's plan to limit landfill to 10% by 2030 is highly relevant for EPR-systems, because it will free up large amounts of waste/resources over the coming years and necessitate investments in new treatment facilities. These investments will determine the EU's waste management system for the coming decades and thereby also the development of a functioning market for secondary raw materials.

To better understand the opportunities and challenges involved, DSD will host an EPR Club lunch debate on the topic. Speakers from both the recycling and incineration industry as well as the European Commission will provide input for an open debate on how to best guide investments in waste management infrastructure and what role the waste hierarchy and EPR will play in this process.