Extended Producer Responsibility in the Western Balkans: what it means and why it matters
When we talk about waste, we usually think that responsibility lies only with citizens or municipalities. In fact, however, a large part of the responsibility also relates to the companies that produce or import products. This is precisely what the Extended Producer Responsibility strategy, or EPR, is intended to address.
Put very simply, EPR means that the company selling a product does not finish its responsibility once the product is placed on the market. It must also take responsibility for what happens to that product, or to its packaging, after it has been used and becomes waste.
This is particularly important for waste streams such as packaging, batteries, electrical and electronic equipment, as well as end-of-life vehicles. These are categories that generate substantial amounts of waste and require specific treatment.
The core idea is straightforward. Instead of the state or the municipality always paying for the collection and recycling of this waste, part of the cost is transferred to the company that placed the product on the market. In other words, whoever introduces the product also helps bear responsibility for managing the waste it creates.
This has several implications.
First, companies must know exactly what they are placing on the market: how many products, how much packaging, what materials are used, and how much each unit weighs. Without this data, the system cannot function.
Second, companies necessarily begin to have a direct interest in making products and packaging easier to recycle. Why? Because if they use less material, reduce unnecessary packaging, or choose more recyclable materials, the fees they are required to pay will usually decrease as well.
EPR is therefore also a way of encouraging businesses to consider their environmental impact from the very beginning of the process: how to produce and package a product so that it generates less waste.
In practice, companies often do not fulfil all these obligations individually. Usually, specific organisations are created or used to carry out these tasks on their behalf (Producer Responsibility Organisations). These organisations assist with registration, reporting, fee collection, organising collection systems, and reporting results. This makes the system easier to implement.
In Albania, this system is still under development. It is being discussed that it should initially be introduced for the main waste categories, such as packaging, batteries, electronic equipment, and end-of-life vehicles. Implementation is expected to take place gradually. At first, registration, reporting, and product traceability will be required. Later, once the relevant structures and databases are in place, payments and other practical obligations will also begin.
This is exactly where the role of URI becomes important. This issue often appears to be merely a legislative and theoretical one, but in reality, it is highly practical. It is necessary to know who reports, what is reported, how fees are calculated, how the relevant organisations operate, and how businesses should prepare. The 2025 guidance prepared with URI’s contribution is important because it translates these requirements into clear and understandable steps for companies.
This helps ensure that businesses are not left uncertain and that the implementation of this strategy becomes easier. In other words, it goes beyond merely explaining “what the law says” and also clarifies “what needs to be done in practice.”
For companies, the message is clear: they should not wait until the system becomes fully mandatory. They can start preparing now. They can better understand their role in the supply chain, begin keeping data on the products and packaging they place on the market, monitor legal developments, plan for possible costs, and review packaging in order to eliminate what is unnecessary.
The meaning of EPR is ultimately very simple: whoever profits from selling a product must also bear part of the responsibility for the waste that product leaves behind. This helps promote recycling practices and pushes companies to produce in a more responsible and intelligent way.
