ECO ORGANIZATION

Today, our model is under extreme pressure: depletion of our resources and biodiversity, global warming, increasing waste and pollution, etc. To meet these challenges, the implementation of a circular economy is key.

In this context, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme is one of the solutions being developed in many sectors and geographies. The aim of EPR is to optimize product management through the payment of an ecocontribution (by the marketers of the products concerned), the amount of which is then paid to an eco-organization. The role of the eco-organization is then to collect and process the product to ensure its circularity (reuse, recycling, eco-design, etc.).

The expected benefits of such a system include: 

• Reducing pollution linked to waste from products whose end-of-life is particularly problematic
• Organizing a waste collection and recycling system to create secondary material loops, thanks to a sustainable source of financing.
• The development of infrastructures essential to the implementation of a circular waste economy (sorting center, recycling plant, etc.), a source of local jobs that cannot be relocated.
• The development of a competitive raw materials market
• Improving product eco-design

But while EPR is a powerful tool, it's not a magic bullet. To unleash the full potential of an EPR system, it is therefore important to :

• Do the right thing at the right time. The introduction and deployment of EPR systems must be phased, in accordance with local conditions and the maturity of the ecosystem, to ensure the feasibility of the system.
• Adopting a rigorous approach to complexity. EPR systems are a complex mix of economics, industry, science, logistics and politics. Putting the pieces together requires a 360° view of the system, and the interaction of all stakeholders.

Lay solid foundations, right from the start of EPR, to ensure a sustainable system over the medium-to-long term. From policy to governance, from product perimeters to infrastructure sizing, consider that the rules you draw up will influence the whole country for decades to come.