Single-Use Plastics Directive and Extended Producer Responsibility for litter management

Almost six years ago, the EU adopted the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) to address the growing problem of plastic pollution. One of its most promising tools is Article 8, which introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for certain single-use plastic products. For the first time, producers are responsible for covering the cost of litter clean-up. This is a crucial development for the local and regional authorities, who currently bear these expenses alone.

This first ACR+ Policy paper on litter examines how Member States are putting Art.8 into practice and how EPR systems can more effectively cover the real costs of litter management.

While the full report Single-Use Plastics Directive and Extended Producer Responsibility for litter management is available exclusively to ACR+ members, you can download the executive summary which provides a useful entry point for understanding current implementation efforts and the steps needed to strengthen EPR for single-use plastics.

ACR+ members are kindly invited to log in to their account to be able to download the report.