The Circular Economy Institute (CEI) has launched an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Toolkit to help move UK policy from high-level principles into practical, workable scheme design. Commissioned by CIWM and its Producer Responsibility Specialist Expert Group (SEG), the toolkit was written by John Twitchen (env23 and Stuff4Life Ltd) for policymakers, industry experts, and supply-chain leaders.
The toolkit reinforces CIWM’s position that EPR should act as an engine for economic growth and industrial strategy, rather than just a recycling tax. While sectors like packaging and electronic waste (WEEE) have well-established rules, CEI’s global review found major policy and practical gaps in three key product areas: textiles, mattresses, and batteries.
To fix these gaps, Stage 1 sets out three core priorities. First, creating a ‘Missing Toolkit Blueprint’ tailored to UK textiles, mattresses, and batteries will turn policy theory into real-world scheme design. Second, connecting the blueprint directly to established UK structures, such as current WEEE and battery compliance schemes, ensures practical operational problems are solved. Finally, policy focus must shift toward reuse, repair, refill, and recharge, while aligning UK standards with international benchmarks like the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
Read the full Circular Economy Institute EPR Toolkit and explore the Circular article EPR is not a ‘recycling tax’, it’s integral to industrial strategy and economic growth.