This chapter provides an introduction to extended producer responsibility (EPR) by discussing the policy rationale behind the approach, the main instruments as well as the most important trends. It finds that there has been a significant increase in the use of EPR in the past 15 years, with about 400 systems now being in use around the globe, most of them in the OECD region. This has led to important achievements, such as an increase in material recovery rates from different waste streams and the generation of significant financial resources from producers that now contribute to a market that is worth about 300 billion EUR globally. A number of areas where EPRs need to be strengthened are also identified.

This chapter integrates the main elements of OECD’s 2001 Guidance Document with the findings and recommendations emerging from the most recent analysis of EPRs. It finds that most of the original guidance remains valid and adds guidance in the areas where recent analysis has focused, particularly on the governance of EPR systems, the competition concerns that have arisen, opportunities to strengthen design-for-environment incentives and the role of the informal sector in EPR.