Extended Producer Responsibility in Food Packaging: Exploring the Compliance Process

Abstract

The legislative landscape of packaging regulation has been experiencing
exponential growth, with the introduction of new EPR policies and stricter
sustainability requirements. This thesis aims to assess differences in EPR
implementation across multiple countries, highlighting its contributions to the
European EPR landscape and exploring the management process of EPR
compliance within a global food company. This study applied an explanatory single
case study approach, drawing on qualitative and quantitative data sources such as
semi-structured interviews, regulatory and legislative documents, and technical
sheets.

The results of this study highlighted the fragmented nature of EPR caused by
inconsistent national implementations of reporting, fee, and eco-modulation
structures. Lack of harmonisation across European countries causes each market to
be unique, with its own structures, standards and requirements, increasing
navigational challenges for global food companies. Internal management of the EPR
compliance process is inherently cross-functional, uniting departments such as
regulatory, packaging, finance and supply chain under the compliance process. Lack
of standardisation of internal management practices, due to the dynamic and
complex nature of EPR, creates many opportunities for improvement, including the
attribution of leadership, resourcing and incorporation of new systems and tools.

Based on these findings, the adoption of reflexive tools such as modelling and
targeted portfolio organisation are suggested in addition to the implementation of a
circular process-based approach. This learning-based system can be used to build
and assess the EPR compliance process within a global company, accounting for the
key challenges and opportunities identified within the current European EPR
landscape.

Popular Abstract

With the current push for sustainability initiatives, stricter packaging waste regulations have been introduced, creating significant changes in how companies develop, manage, and improve their packaging. One of the most impactful policies in these efforts is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which shifts the responsibility for packaging waste management onto producers who put products on the market. Under EPR, producers must report their packaging volumes, pay fees to fund the collection, sorting and treatment of packaging waste, and adhere to specific design restrictions and requirements when developing their packaging. However, EPR systems across the EU vary significantly from country to country, making it difficult for global companies to manage EPR compliance across all of their markets.

Our thesis aimed to explore the differences in EPR systems across the EU and how global food and beverage companies can improve the way they work with EPR. To do this, we studied EPR in 10 European countries, to show the complexity and differences that exist between each system. Additionally, we collaborated with a global food and beverage company to understand how they worked with EPR across multiple markets. Together, these learnings were used to make conclusions on how EPR systems across Europe affect company practices and outline strategies for companies to improve their current ways of working with EPR.

We found that EPR is inconsistent across the EU, with many differences and even contradictions existing between countries. Because each market is unique and based on its own system, global companies need to understand the details of each market to stay compliant, which is a difficult and often confusing task. On top of this, EPR is a new policy and is still evolving. There is no standard for how companies should organise responsibilities, workflows or cross-functional collaboration, creating a lot of confusion on what is the best way forward.

By identifying the challenges and opportunities in EPR and its management, we suggested multiple tools and systems that could be used to improve internal company practices. These tools focus on creating a circular way of working, which improves information flow and communication. This included a formal management system called the “Packaging Innovation Framework” and tools like portfolio organisation and modelling.

Although our study focuses on a one company, the insights are relevant to many businesses navigating these packaging regulations. Packaging is used across all industries and regulatory requirements are only increasing. To stay compliant and move from a reactive to a proactive approach, companies need to understand the system they are working in and build internal structures that support efficient and flexible EPR management.

• author: Legault, Emily and Okcu, Busra
• supervisor: Daniel Hellström
• organization: Packaging Logistics; Production and Materials Engineering
• course: MTTM01 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Extended Producer Responsibility, Cross-Country Regulatory Compliance, Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Eco-Modulation, Process Based Management Approach, Modelling
• language: English
• id: 9241944
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-25 13:28:11
• date last changed: 2026-06-25 13:28:11