Ensuring Fairness in EPR: Supporting Compliance Across the Supply Chain

In a world where environmental responsibility is increasingly central to business success, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations are more important than ever. These regulations ensure that the costs of managing the environmental impact of packaging are fairly distributed across all obligated producers. But not every business is aware of these responsibilities, and some may be falling short—unintentionally or otherwise—leaving compliant businesses to pick up the tab. 

At Clarity, we’re committed to our mission; uniting the world of business in the protection of the world we live in, and that includes ensuring fairness across the board. By helping businesses understand and meet their EPR obligations, we can work together to create a system that’s equitable for everyone and better for the environment. 

EPR is designed to ensure that every business involved in producing, importing, or selling packaging plays its part in covering the costs of recycling and waste management. A key change under this system is that each piece of packaging now has a single company responsible, simplifying accountability and improving transparency. However, when some businesses fail to comply, it can create an uneven playing field. This is not only unfair to those who are meeting their obligations but could also add to the costs that compliant businesses must bear. 

To ensure fairness in the system, it’s crucial that businesses check the compliance of their customers, suppliers, and even competitors. Without this, you may unknowingly be absorbing costs that others should be paying. 

One of the biggest challenges with EPR is that many businesses – especially smaller ones – are still unaware of the regulations or don’t fully understand their responsibilities. This can lead to non-compliance, often unintentionally, and create issues across the supply chain.  

We are here to help. As part of our commitment to environmental care, we work with businesses and trade bodies across industries to raise awareness, providing support and expert advice to help them navigate their EPR responsibilities. Whether it’s a supplier unsure of their obligations or a competitor failing to act, we can provide the necessary guidance to bring them into compliance. 

Working with some of the world’s best-known brands, we provide businesses with clear, specialist support to ensure compliance with EPR for Packaging. Whether you’re looking to verify the compliance of your supply chain or raise awareness among your partners, our team of experts is here to help. 

We can assist in: 

• Conducting compliance audits for your suppliers and customers. 

• Offering EPR consultations to help businesses understand their EPR responsibilities. 

• Raising awareness by contacting non-compliant competitors and partners to ensure they understand their role in the system. 

By working together, we can help ensure that no one is left behind, and that the costs of packaging waste management are shared fairly across all obligated producers. 

To support our members, we’ve put together a checklist that you can use to ensure your supply chain is compliant and that you’re not paying for other businesses’ responsibilities: 

1. Identify All Relevant Parties: List out all your packaging suppliers, importers, and key customers. 
2. Ask for Proof of Compliance: Request documentation from suppliers and customers that demonstrates their EPR compliance status. 
3. Use Audits Where Necessary: Consider conducting an EPR compliance audit with key partners to verify that they’re fulfilling their obligations. 
4. Encourage Dialogue: Open discussions with your suppliers and customers about their understanding of EPR regulations. Many may be unaware or unclear about their responsibilities. 
5. Report Suspected Non-compliance: If you believe a competitor or partner is not meeting their EPR obligations, let us know. We can help raise awareness and work toward a solution. 
6. Stay Informed: Ensure you and your team are up to date on the latest EPR regulations consider signing up to industry updates and newsletters such as our monthly newsletter: Clearview. Our experts can help you stay ahead of any changes or updates in the legislation. 

At Clarity, we believe that fairness is at the heart of an effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system. When businesses meet their EPR obligations, they not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also create a level playing field.  

By ensuring that everyone across the supply chain understands and fulfils their EPR obligations, we can create a system that is not only fair but also better for the environment. Working together, we can enhance the effectiveness of the system, help businesses thrive responsibly and protect the world we live in. 

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you or your supply chain with EPR compliance, get in touch with our team.