At first glance, EPR for packaging can seem like a bureaucratic burden.
However, it is much more an opportunity to prepare your company for a future where sustainability is not just a competitive parameter, but a prerequisite for running a successful business.
Taking a responsible approach to your products and packaging from cradle to grave brings several benefits.
It strengthens your profile when you need to attract customers, skilled employees and strong business partners. There is also a financial case for thinking more sustainably when it comes to packaging.
The aim of EPR for packaging is to motivate companies to design, purchase or use types of packaging that are more environmentally sound, easier to reuse or easier to recycle.
For the individual company, the EPR system is structured so that the more packaging you use, the higher the fee. Just as importantly, the fee also depends on the type of packaging. The easier the packaging is to recycle, the lower the fee. Paper and cardboard will therefore be significantly cheaper than plastic.
Choosing materials that are easier to recycle and reusing your packaging does not only give you a “discount” in relation to EPR. It can also reduce your packaging costs more generally.
EPR for packaging is therefore not just a requirement. It is also a financial and sustainability incentive for your company to optimise its use of packaging.
EPR for packaging is not the first producer responsibility - and it will be far from the last. Since 2005, Emballageretur’s sister organisation Elretur has handled EPR for electronics and batteries. EPR for textiles is already being prepared, and several other types of EPR are under discussion.
We are therefore moving towards a future where companies will face increasing requirements from consumers, business partners and authorities to act responsibly. EPR will play an increasingly important role, and companies must be ready to manage it both individually and collectively. That requires organisation and experience.
It is therefore a good idea to set up a steering group in your company, so you can ensure that the right employees are responsible for your EPR work, that best practice can be established, and that knowledge and experience are not lost.
Based on the principle that the easier packaging is to recycle, the cheaper EPR for packaging will be, the obvious next step is to pick the low-hanging fruit by optimising your packaging.
There are three types of packaging: product packaging (primary packaging), multipack packaging (secondary packaging) and transport packaging (tertiary packaging).
Many companies use too much packaging. It is therefore beneficial to try to reduce the volume of all three types of packaging.
1: Simplifying your packaging
If your goal is to use as few material variants as possible, your packaging will be easier to manage. Fewer variants also make it easier to further reduce your packaging consumption over time.
Remember to consider factors such as how much air there is in the packaging. Better packaging design can protect goods more effectively, reduce the amount of air, increase the quantity of goods that can be transported and ultimately generate savings for the company.
2: Choice of materials
Different material types have different strengths and weaknesses. Cardboard is often a very good packaging material, but for fresh foods, plastic and/or glass may in many cases be preferable.
Identify the packaging material that best protects your products, and then look for more environmentally sound and sustainable alternatives.
In particular, it is beneficial to reuse or recycle existing materials. Use secondary raw materials or already recycled input materials in your packaging wherever possible.
3: Mono-materials and less printing
The more uniform the packaging is, the easier it is to send back into the system when it needs to be reused or recycled.
You should also consider which printing ink you use, what material your labels are made of, and whether your use of glue may affect the recyclability of the packaging.
With EPR for packaging, companies in Denmark will have the financial and practical responsibility for ensuring that their packaging waste is managed properly and responsibly.
This is a major task, and for many companies it is neither part of their core business nor part of their core competencies.
That is why most companies join a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), such as Emballageretur.
Our team has worked with the management of EPR for almost 20 years.
On behalf of our member companies, we handle tasks such as negotiating EPR prices, carrying out mandatory reporting of packaging quantities and ensuring that as much packaging waste as possible is reused, recycled or disposed of responsibly.
There are several different PROs.
Your steering group may therefore benefit from looking into which PRO best matches your need for handling the formal requirements from the authorities, has experience operating EPR systems and can also offer strong tools and guidance during this preparation phase. Access to networks with other companies facing the same challenges and the degree of influence on processes are also important parameters.
After the summer of 2025, EPR will be part of day-to-day operations, and in practice the PROs will handle the vast majority of the tasks. But already from 2024, you will need to register your quantities for the first time.
EPR therefore represents a certain workload for the approximately 41,000 affected companies - but only for a short period.
Every hour you invest now is an investment that benefits both your company and society as a whole through a more appropriate and sustainable use of resources.
We know that managing your EPR obligations can seem complex, but help is available. You can enter into an agreement with a PRO such as Emballageretur and let us help you manage your EPR obligations.
At Emballageretur, we have deep knowledge and strong competencies in managing the entire waste process from collection, management and registration to recycling and reuse. We are also ready to help if you need guidance on packaging design.
Emballageretur is built on almost 20 years of experience with EPR management.
We can therefore ensure that your company receives efficient and professional management of EPR for packaging, registration of data, contact with the authorities and thorough guidance from day one.