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Building sustainability with EPR, the Plastic Bank way
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Imagine transforming your brand’s commitment to sustainability into a powerful movement that doesn’t just fulfill compliance—it fuels prosperity. At Plastic Bank, our Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program isn’t merely about addressing plastic waste; it’s also about embracing purpose-driven sustainability that can uplift communities, energize growth, and win the hearts of your customers.
As of 2024, approximately 63 countries (representing about 32% of the world) have implemented some form of EPR specifically related to packaging waste management.1 The trend has been steadily increasing globally, mainly driven by international EPR regulations, sustainability mandates, and standards bodies like the European Union. Their mandatory implementation for packaging waste across all member states, serving as strong motivators for global adoption.2The percentage of countries adopting Extended Producer Responsibility programs is expected to continue rising, driven by international pressure, increased public awareness, and environmental legislation.3
EPR Basics
EPR– Extended Producer Responsibility–places accountability on brands to manage the lifecycle of their plastic packaging. It follows the producer pays principle and is a policy approach that makes producers responsible for their products along the lifecycle, even after they’ve been used by the consumer. Governments are using a suite of policy instruments to share financial (and sometimes operational) responsibility of waste management and material recovery to producers.4
While plastic pollution can be approached using different tools, EPR is mandatory and regulatory, in contrast to plastic credits which are voluntary in nature. They complement each other with the latter serving as an enabler—and a necessary bridge in the absence—of the former.
Plastic Bank’s EPR
At Plastic Bank, we’ve reimagined EPR as a transformative opportunity that can build shared prosperity and achieve environmental impact. Our innovative EPR approach can empower underserved collection communities by:
1. Providing brands an option to offer a social benefit to the informal waste collection communities for the collection and recycling of discarded plastic, turning it into additional income for those who need it most.
2. Offering traceability of transactions from collection branch to processor, ensuring your impact is measurable, authentic, and verifiable—adding credibility and integrity to your sustainability commitments. Plastic Bank can ensure your contributions empower communities if you opt to.
3. Guaranteeing circularity and guaranteeing waste diversion for recyclable plastics to only a Class A destination (Plastic Bank accredited recycler) as defined in the Waste Management hierarchy below.5
4. Ensuring all declared collection impacts are 3rd party verified, e.g. EPR credits in the Philippines are verified by Ernst & Young.
5. Leveraging our expertise from our years of close partnerships with accredited processors to accelerate mobilization of collection ecosystems, and LGUs to expand faster in rural communities.
6. Guaranteeing ethical collection practices are in place with our ECOVADIS Gold rating, GRS certification, and Plastic Bank’s Code of Conduct.
Case study: The Philippines
In the Philippines, home to one of the most ambitious plastic EPR programs, businesses must manage 80% of their plastic packaging waste by 2028—up from just 20% in 2023. Plastic Bank shares its expertise and years of experience as a trusted ecosystem mobilizer in the Philippines, managing compliance for obliged enterprises like Pepsi Philippines, Goldilocks, and Colgate-Palmolive Philippines, to name a few.
Your brand’s role in the circular economy
When your brand partners with Plastic Bank’s EPR solution, you become part of a revolutionary ecosystem where every kilogram of plastic collected can translate into tangible social and environmental impact. Our collection communities gain additional income, while your brand demonstrates leadership in sustainability and circularity. By choosing Plastic Bank’s EPR solution, your brand doesn’t just comply—it can champion genuine transformation.
Consumers today don’t just buy products; they invest in authentic sustainability stories and actionable values. Aligning your brand with Plastic Bank’s purpose means communicating a powerful narrative of hope, resilience, and shared prosperity, and a world that thrives together.
Elevate your brand beyond compliance. Partner with Plastic Bank’s EPR program and be a pioneer in building an economy where prosperity and purpose coexist to turn plastic waste into lasting impact. Let’s unlock shared growth, a cleaner environment, and brighter futures—one plastic bottle at a time…
…because when your brand thrives on purpose, your consumers don’t just buy from you—they love you for it.
- “Extended Producer Responsibility Laws for Packaging Around The World,” Packaging School, https://packagingschool.com/lessons/extended-producer-responsibility-laws-for-packaging-around-the-world
- “Global plastics outlook: economic drivers, environmental impacts and policy options,” Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, April 2022, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2022/02/global-plastics-outlook_a653d1c9/de747aef-en.pdf
- Khairan Tumu, Keith Vorst, Greg Curtzwiler, “Global plastic waste recycling and extended producer responsibility laws,” Journal of Environmental Management, December 15, 2023, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479723020303
- “Guidelines on Minimum Requirements for Plastic Waste Recovery and Crediting Standards,” PREVENT Waste Alliance Core Group on Plastic Credits, March 2024, https://prevent-waste.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/240418_Prevent_PlasticWasteRecovery_A4_final.pdf
- “Guidelines on Minimum Requirements for Plastic Waste Recovery and Crediting Standards,” PREVENT Waste Alliance Core Group on Plastic Credits, March 2024, https://prevent-waste.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/240418_Prevent_PlasticWasteRecovery_A4_final.pdf
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