EPR Guide - Flipbook - Page 41
4. Collaboration Across the Supply Chain
EPR has implications up and down supply chains, which opens the door for more
collaboration:
• Supplier Engagement: Work with packaging suppliers like Allpack Packaging
Ltd, to develop solutions that meet recyclability criteria. Many packaging
manufacturers are actively creating guides and offering new products to
help brands comply. Engage them, they might have ready-to-go alternatives
for problematic packaging components.
• Industry Groups: Consider participating in industry associations or
working groups on EPR. There’s ongoing discussion between government
and industries (e.g. food & drink, personal care, etc.) about how to make EPR
practical and fair. Through trade bodies you might in昀氀uence future tweaks (like
how fees are calculated for certain materials). Also, industry forums are a place to share
best practices on compliance.
• Client Solutions: If you’re a logistics or manufacturing service provider, you can
deepen client relationships by helping them solve EPR challenges. For instance, if you
are a contract 昀椀ller for a multinational brand, you might take on the role of packaging
data manager for them, providing detailed breakdowns they need. This kind of added
service can strengthen partnerships and potentially be a revenue stream (charging a
small fee for sustainability data management, for example).
5. Avoiding Penalties = Operational Continuity
This one is straightforward: by staying compliant, you avoid the disruptions
and costs of enforcement actions. No unexpected 昀椀nes, no investigations, no
scrambling to do damage control, which means you can focus on your core
business. In contrast, those who neglect EPR will 昀椀nd themselves 昀椀re-昀椀ghting
issues, paying penalties, and possibly having to retro昀椀t solutions hastily. There’s
an opportunity for diligent companies to stay ahead while competitors learn the
hard way.
41
