Recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety will today (16 April) reveal an “alternative” model for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) governance currently under consultation by Government.
Referred to as the “Centralised Competition model”, the alternative system aims to offer an “ambitious yet achievable” set of parameters under which the UK’s EPR system would be governed following implementation in 2023, Ecosurety says.
The Government launched its Resource & Waste Strategy in December 2018, after the UK’s existing EPR system was deemed “unfit for purpose”, the compliance scheme says.
The strategy set out plans to reform the UK’s approach to managing waste materials and move the UK towards a more circular economy. This was followed by the launch of a series of detailed consultations in February this year, which require input from industry on the best approach to implement a number of reforms.
“The objective to our Centralised Competition model is to provide a realistic and equitable framework under which future EPR governance can operate. It delivers on government ambitions,
minimises risks for cross-industry stakeholders, and – critically – balances the needs of the industry with producers and consumers.”
Within the Consultation on reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system is a question that concerns the future governance of this system.
Ecosurety said in a statement: “Though Defra has provided four well-considered models for future EPR governance, none offer a significant improvement on the way current system operates – and yet each model place a significant increase in financial obligations on UK producers.”
Ecosurety set out to develop an alternative EPR model – one that offers an improvement on funding issues whilst tackling competitive unfairness and a lack of transparency.
The result is its “Centralised Competition” model; one that serves the system principles outlined by Defra but also delivers the ambitious outcomes the government and country desire. Set out in a four-page presentation, Ecosurety’s Centralised Competition model:
- Recognises the difference between public sector funding – for consistent, high quality waste collections – and commercial investment funding which is required to improve UK recycling capacity.
- Retains an element of competition to ensure cost efficiency and maintain a good choice of partners for producers.
- Centralises Local Authority funding to ensure no LA’s are left to cover the cost of packaging collections alone.
- Centralises fee modulation criteria to ensure that all producers’ packaging is treated consistently across the system.
- Allows devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to understand the type and quantity of packaging flowing through their economies, as well as providing a communications fund for them to engage with citizens.
Commenting on the Centralised Competition model, Robbie Staniforth, head of policy at Ecosurety said: “Two months of cross-industry discussions have revealed though commendable in ambition, none of Defra’s four models for future EPR governance offer the right blend of characteristics.
“The objective
Staniforth added: “Ecosurety has combined its knowledge of the waste and recycling sector with years of experience in market reform. Based on the positive outcomes from a number of projects we’ve delivered over the last few years, we believe our Centralised Competition model can deliver an EPR system which is successful in real-time, not just in concept.“
You can request Ecosurety’s Centralised Competitionmodel here.
