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Southeast Asia is a significant plastic pollution hotspot, according to numerous academic studies, primarily due to the rising use of plastic and limited waste collection infrastructure. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) programmes have been initiated and implemented by several Southeast Asian countries in response to this growing crisis, particularly focusing on packaging and container waste.
EPR, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2001, is an environmental policy extending a producer’s responsibility for a product to include its post-consumer stage. EPR schemes initially emerged in the early 1970s, pioneered by local governments in the United States and Canada through deposit and refund systems.
Since the 1990s, a number of developed nations have shifted the responsibility to producers for collecting and recycling diverse waste streams, encompassing packaging, home appliances, automobiles, and more. The preliminary draft of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, set to be deliberated during the 3rd International Negotiation Committee scheduled for mid-November, includes a reference to EPR.
EPR in Southeast Asia
While some Southeast Asian countries made initial preparations for EPR back in the 2000s, particularly for e-waste, they did not enact comprehensive EPR regulations until 2019. The mounting concern over marine plastic pollution has underscored the urgency of EPR programmes in the region, especially for plastic containers and packaging.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry introduced the Roadmap to Waste Reduction by Producers in 2019, compelling the manufacturing, food and beverage services, and retail sectors to submit comprehensive waste reduction plans. These plans target the production of 100% recyclable plastic products and the adoption of 50% recycled content by 2029.
The Philippines enacted the Extended Producer Responsibility Act in 2022, along with its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) in January 2023. Enterprises are now obliged to achieve a 20% recovery rate by the end of 2023, increasing to 40% by the end of 2024. Annual increments of 10% are also planned, reaching an 80% mandatory recovery rate by the end of 2028.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) launched an EPR scheme for e-waste management in July 2021. It also plans a deposit refund system for beverage bottles, starting on 1 July 2025 following a three-month transition period.
Viet Nam revised its Environmental Protection Law in 2020 to implement EPR for various waste categories, with enforcement scheduled for January 2024 for packaging, containers, and tyres; and January 2027 for electrical and electronic equipment and vehicles. Producers must meet mandatory recycling rates or contribute to the environmental protection fund. Malaysia and Thailand are also in the process of preparing to apply EPR to packaging and container waste.
EPR Challenges in Southeast Asia
The application of EPR in Southeast Asian countries needs to address several challenges. The first revolves around logistics, as remote areas often lack efficient waste collection and recycling infrastructure, resulting in high transportation costs. Producers and producer responsibility organisations (PROs) must devise strategies for organising the reverse logistics of waste plastic containers and packaging from these regions to recycling facilities.
The second challenge involves handling bulky plastic waste such as expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam). However, technology, including compacting machines for EPS and crushing machines for other packaging and containers, can help reduce volume and transportation costs.
The third challenge is a steady demand for recycled plastic products, as some may not meet conventional industrial standards. The establishment of industrial standards for recycled products, as seen in Japan, and the development of eco-labelling schemes, such as by the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), can help stimulate demand for recycled materials. Initiatives such as green public procurement programmes can further ensure a consistent market for recycled products.
Stakeholder Roles
To successfully address these challenges, governments should formulate appropriate policies and regulations that not only place responsibility on producers, but also ensure the quality of recycled goods by developing industrial standards and creating demand for recycled products through green public procurement. The central government should develop a comprehensive plan or strategy to extend waste management services not only to urban areas but also rural regions.
To effectively implement EPR, producers should collaborate with governmental regulations; while consumers play a crucial role in supporting EPR initiatives by actively participating in source separation, using proper waste disposal channels, and favouring recycled goods in their purchases.
