Extended Producer Responsibility regulations face implementation challenges

New developments in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) are impacting both government policy-making and small-scale commerce. In the regulatory sphere, Kolekt has launched the EPR Regulation Wizard, a tool designed to help ministries draft waste management regulations more efficiently. By answering approximately 100 questions regarding material coverage, fee structures, and enforcement, ministries can generate a draft regulation in as little as three days, potentially bypassing years of costly consultancy and debate.

Simultaneously, the upcoming European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), effective August 2026, is creating administrative hurdles for small e-commerce sellers. Artists and artisans shipping goods across Europe may face varying EPR obligations and registration requirements in each destination country. The lack of a unified EU registration system has led some small businesses to cease international shipping to avoid complex compliance costs, prompting calls from the European Commission for simplified processes and proportionate enforcement.