IN OTHER NEWS BY JESSIE TAYLOR
GOING
Green
Regulations bring manufacturers into the circular economy mode
A
s South Africa’s population and economy grow, so too does its waste generation. But failing to correctly manage this waste will not only increase pollution and use of landfill sites, but it can also rob the country of job opportunities. In a bid to reduce the waste disposal at landfill sites, and encourage a circular economy, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has published the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations. This legislation will see industries and product manufacturers taking an active role in the disposal and recycling of their products, after consumer use. Relooking at waste disposal This is the first comprehensive set of regulations seeking to regulate EPR measures in
South Africa. Internationally, EPR Regulations has been used to hold the brand owners of certain products on the market accountable for the waste generated by their products. The brand owner is often regulated because they make decisions on the design of the product and are best able to include more recyclable materials into their product specifications.
It is also an opportunity for the government to work closely with industries that produce varying amounts of waste South Africa’s legislation, however, takes a broader approach by including
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manufacturers, converters, refurbishes, importers and brand-owners of products in the EPR Regulations. It also includes packaging components and not just final products. Initially set to come into effect last year, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy extended the implementation of the EPR Regulations to 5 May 2021. Under this regulation, all existing producers, and producer responsibility organisations, must register with the Department before 5 November 2021. The regulations apply to the electrical and electronic equipment, lighting and paper, packaging and some single-use product sectors.
