What do consumers really want from EPR? It’s not what you think.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is having a moment. And that moment is about to become much more than a moment as EPR continues to expand. Not only is EPR here to stay, its regulations will influence and shape packaging innovation and end-of-use management for decades to come.

But fear not. We’re here to help you turn this EPR moment into an opportunity. And our new report — The ABCs of EPR, available to download right now — is filled with data and insights that uncover that opportunity amidst all the pain and angst you’re probably feeling right now.

EPR: What is it, how is it and where is it?

For those of you who may not know the ins and outs of EPR, we cover that in our report. Although the specifics vary by state, EPR is a policy that places legal and financial responsibility for managing a material throughout its entire lifecycle on the companies that produce the material. In other words, companies can no longer “make it, sell it and forget about it.” Companies in the U.S. are now obligated to design and produce products and packaging that have a planet-friendly end of life.

A productive way forward

When Franklin Roosevelt spoke those famous words “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he may not have been talking about Extended Producer Responsibility, but he was certainly talking about a similar kind of “unreasoning” and “unjustified” fear, one that is reminiscent of many companies’ reactions to EPR legislation (if not fear, then certainly a high level of concern).

But, as Roosevelt cautioned, instead of letting that fear “paralyze needed efforts” to make advancements, it’s time to focus on a productive way forward. Specifically, to pinpoint how your company can use this moment — while you’re in the process of redesigning packaging to adapt to legislation — to bake in the “wish list” of things consumers actually want in packaging … and then leverage it to increase brand favorability.

Pinpointing the opportunity

And that’s exactly the purpose of our ABCs of EPR report — to pinpoint the consumer opportunity. The first thing we did is examine what consumers are concerned about regarding waste, and what they specifically want from packaging end-of-use. We were surprised by what we found, including a significant disconnect between what consumers want and what most companies think they want. In fact, our data shows that companies are not even focused on the one thing consumers want them to focus on the most, and which would drive favorability the most.

Driving brand favorability

We also reveal the three main combinations of packaging attributes that would most drive brand favorability. And yes, one of those favorability-driving attributes is recyclability. No surprise there. But again, it’s not what you think. It’s about much more than just making products easier to recycle. Consumers’ relationship with the recycling system plays a big part in this as well. So how you talk about it is critical to success for both driving recycling rates and creating preference for your brand.

Our report is here to put your fears to rest. Because the only companies that need to be afraid of what’s coming are the ones who don’t prepare for it. And to prepare for it, all you need to do is focus on what consumers want (as always, right?).

A 3-step plan

Finally, our report lays out a step-by-step plan for how your company can address EPR successfully. Give it a read. And reach out if you have any questions or specific areas you’d like us to explore within your industry and audience. We are here to help!