The case for Extended Producer Responsibility for food products

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The European Union faces a critical resource efficiency challenge: food waste represents 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions while EU citizens generate 129kg of food waste per year. Despite the 2024 EU mandate requiring separate collection of bio-waste, only 26% of kitchen waste is successfully captured, with current food waste collection at just 15.1 million tonnes annually—far below the theoretical potential of 60 million tonnes.

The EU has established legally binding food waste reduction targets for 2030: 30% reduction per capita at household/retail/restaurant levels and 10% reduction at manufacturing level. However, implementation faces significant economic and operational barriers, as municipalities lack (financial) incentives to establish prevention and separate collection schemes, and the overhead costs deter local authorities from adopting necessary measures.

Could Extended Producer Responsibility for Food Products (EPRFP) be a solution?
This study analyses how implementing EPRFP could address food waste prevention and collection challenges. Unlike traditional waste management funding for biowaste that relies entirely on public authorities and taxpayers, EPRFP would shift partial financial and operational responsibility to actors who can significantly influence consumer behaviour and waste generation patterns.

Scope and Coverage
Products included: All solid food products likely to end up in bio-waste collection and used cooking oils.
Actors Responsible:
Those placing products on the market:
●    Wholesalers
●    Retailers (for sales of their own white label products)
●    Importers

Financial Framework
The study analyses potential cost coverage models and suggests that, in order to align and work towards the food waste prevention and separate collection legal obligations, a comprehensive coverage is preferable. This cost coverage would include: prevention programs, food redistribution schemes, consumer education, and innovation research necessary to meet the food waste targets, as well as responsibility for the collection and treatment of separately collected food waste.

What would the advantages of EPRFP be?
Environmental impact: Millions of tonnes of food waste diverted from landfills and incinerators, reduced methane and CO2 emissions, soil regeneration.
Economic efficiency: Shifts costs from municipalities to producers, creates prevention incentives, increased cost-efficiency of collection systems.
Innovation driver: Stimulates food waste reduction technologies and circular food systems by using Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees to finance research and innovation in food waste prevention, as well as supply feedstock for biomaterials.
Job creation: New employment in food waste prevention, collection and waste management sectors.

What would the challenges and mitigation of implementing EPRFP be?
Cost pass-through: Fees likely passed on to consumers, but waste management costs are already paid via local taxes. Therefore, EPRFP would reorganise and optimise payment flows rather than creating new costs.
Administrative complexity and inconsistencies: Lack of consistent application across the EU leading to disparities in the implementation by EU Member States. This could be addressed through clear definitions, robust enforcement, transparent governance structures and building on existing data.

Implementation strategy
In order to implement EPRFP, and based on the proposals by the EU BIOBEST project, the study argues that setting a food waste target within the residual waste stream is the best way forward. The EPRFP would therefore have the goal of financing the means to meet the food waste prevention and collection target.

Conclusion
EPRFP is an economic instrument worth considering to address the EU's food waste crisis by creating dedicated funding streams for prevention and collection activities while aligning financial responsibility with actors who have significant influence over waste generation. The system could support achievement of the 2030 food waste reduction targets while advancing the EU's circular economy and bioeconomy strategies. 
 

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