It is no longer acceptable that manufacturers of consumer goods produce products that cannot be recycled, but pose a toxic waste hazard in the environment where they end up. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a way of shifting the responsibility for waste management back to the producers of the products that cause the waste. This will lead to better designed products that use less resources and have a reduced environmental impact at the end of their useful life.
There are many types of EPR schemes successfully operating all over the world, include 'take-back' programs for computers and e-waste, deposit-refund schemes for beverage containers, 'advance disposal fees' for tyres and labelling requirements for packaging.
Western Australia has 'umbrella' EPR legislation, empowering the Waste Authority to identify problem wastes and to require producers to develop EPR schemes for these wastes. So far, the Authority has not taken action to develop any EPR schemes.
