The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) has reacted negatively to suggestions that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) should be abandoned as a result of the cost of living crisis.
ADEPT has restated its view that the introduction of EPR will reduce the carbon footprint of managing resources, encourage more sustainable use of materials, and minimise waste.
The Association says it welcomes private sector investment in state-of-the-art recycling facilities in places like the North East but believes more are required to meet the government’s ambition of becoming a world leader in resource efficiency and waste reduction. ADEPT adds that supporting the circular economy will create jobs and the government’s levelling up agenda.
Local authorities cannot afford for EPR to be delayed when they are already under extreme financial pressure.
ADEPT says the principles of EPR and the circular economy are embedded in the Environment Act which passed through Parliament last year after extensive consultation.
The Association says it considers that introducing EPR will encourage producers to reduce their packaging through meeting the full net costs of packaging management, which alongside the introduction of modulated fees, will encourage better packaging design and make it easier to recycle.
ADEPT says it has long argued that the cost of managing waste should be shifted from the public purse to the industry providing the necessary incentive to improve packaging design and drive greater investment in UK-based reprocessing facilities and jobs.
EPR will help bring much-needed clarity to the public around what can be recycled, ADEPT says.
There is no requirement for these costs to be passed to the consumer.
Chair of ADEPT’s Environment Board, Steve Read, said: “The premise that the cost of EPR has to be passed to consumers is frankly disingenuous – the industry could do much more to make better and more effective use of packaging.
“There is no requirement for these costs to be passed to the consumer. The cost of poor and excessive packaging has been avoided by the industry for years and it is disappointing that such a narrow perspective of how the cost of living crisis impacts on households and the most vulnerable in society are being put forward.
“When an industry doesn’t regulate itself, we need strong fiscal policies to encourage the sustainable use of precious resources.
“Local authorities cannot afford for EPR to be delayed when they are already under extreme financial pressure. Every pound spent by councils on dealing with rubbish could be better spent against the spiralling cost of social care for the elderly and vulnerable – which is only going to worsen in the coming months. Abandoning EPR will do nothing for hard-hit households.
“EPR is an important thread in the move towards natural resource security for the UK and investment in green jobs and infrastructure.”
