Circular Soundbites
Circular Soundbites is the place to hear from the people shaping what’s coming next within the many industries and sectors Reconomy reaches. We’ll be talking to key industry experts and insiders, offering up real, practical insight on everything connected to the circular economy.
In addition to standalone episodes, Circular Soundbites will also offer dedicated, multi-part series that explore the systems, decisions and day-to-day realities driving real circular progress.
Circular Soundbites
EPR Now: North America’s May 31st Packaging EPR Deadline
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This episode of Circular Soundbites is part of our series “EPR Now.” In it, CEO of Reconomy’s comply division, Patrick Wiedemann, offers context surrounding the current situation producers face as they race to comply with packaging reporting deadlines.
Welcome to Circular Sound Bites, the podcast where we break down the ideas, systems, and decisions driving real progress in the circular economy. I'm your host, Lee Van Ocken, recording from Toronto, Canada. Today's episode is part of our series called EPR Now, which offers the timely context you need to adapt to evolving EPR landscapes. Today, we'll be discussing packaging EPR in North America with my special guest, the CEO of Reconomy's Comply Division, Patrick Wiederman.
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SPEAKER_01Welcome, Patrick. Thanks for joining me today for our first episode of Circular Sound Bites.
SPEAKER_02Well, Lee, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01So for those of you who may not be familiar, EPR refers to extended producer responsibility, and that's a policy approach that makes producers responsible for managing waste related to their products and their packaging. The emphasis of EPR is often increased recycling and circularity. Many jurisdictions across the US and Canada require producers to comply with EPR by reporting data about materials that they place on the market. Of course, you know that already, Patrick. So let's talk about North America. We're seeing a lot of change this year to packaging EPR. And we know that data reports will be due in many, many places on May 31st. And this is the joint, this joined up deadline. This is really the first time we're seeing something like this in North America. So I'd love for you to tell me what is the context here that producers need to be aware of?
SPEAKER_02Well, Lee, you're right. May 31st is shaping up to be a really important reporting milestone across the US and Canada. The change here has to do with compliance strategies, what we see. So as we're seeing EPR requirements harmonizing, businesses will also want to begin their own harmonization across regions. So, in other words, approaching EPR compliance with fragmented compliance teams and fragmented data is not an efficient nor reliable way to reduce a company's risk in that area. So companies need a single consistent data set that can serve multiple authorities, one source of truth for all packaging placed on the market, and they stand to benefit from a unified global approach where this becomes applicable.
SPEAKER_01So with that May 31st deadline looming, excuse me, what are the main concerns that you're hearing from producers? And are those concerns any different than last year?
SPEAKER_02Well, last year most questions were about what to report at all and when. So especially in the US, where packaging EPR is still quite new. This year we've seen that the theme has shifted to how to report accurately. So producers have realized that their brand sustainability claims and compliance credibility both depend on the quality of their EPR data. Another big concern is cost forecasting that we hear about. So with programs moving forward, full producer funding of collection and recycling, CFOs want a clearer visibility into potential fees that they will be facing. So companies are asking for models that actually help them plan and budget across markets. So I would say compared to last year, the conversation is definitely becoming more strategic. So it's less about surviving reporting cycles only and more about designing systems that can scale in the end. Well, and of course, we as a company support all of this, and that's at the heart of what we do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And you know, that's a perfect segue into our next topic: moving from basic compliance to prioritizing the quality of the data that is being reported. So, what does that shift look like in practice?
SPEAKER_02That's a very good question. So, well, usually at the beginning of these processes, many of those processes are pretty manual. And producers rely on spreadsheets and manual estimates because they're racing to meet deadlines. But as programs mature, that approach really creates risk. So duplicate data, inconsistencies, missing material attributes can all be an outcome from this. So moving towards sophistication means integrating product data from multiple teams and systems, so procurement, packaging, engineering, compliance. You've got to make sure that everyone works off the same data set. So it's also about having audit trails and verification steps that stand up to regulatory scrutiny. Ultimately, good data isn't just about compliance in the end. It informs packaging design, helps reduce cost, and advances companies' circular economy goals.
SPEAKER_01So there must be a few methods that businesses can use to ensure that high-quality data. Can you talk us through some of them?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. So I would see there are three main pillars. So the first one is standardization. Use consistent product and packaging hierarchies across all systems so that data doesn't get lost when moving between platforms and reporting tools. Secondly, it's automation. Where possible, connect your material specifications directly to your reporting software or platform. This will help to cut down on manual entry errors and in the end saves time. And thirdly, it's validation. Build in regular internal audits or use third-party checks before your reporting window. That way, if a regulator requests verification later in the year, you can respond confidently.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. That's great. And just to wrap things up, is there anything else that you want to add about this massive May 31st reporting deadline that's coming up?
SPEAKER_02Well, yes, absolutely. And I think the key element is to treat it not just as a deadline, but also as a checkpoint. This May 31st cycle is a chance for producers to test their systems, identify data gaps, and strengthen collaboration across departments, as said before. The companies that treat EPR reporting as a part of their broader sustainability strategy rather than a yearly scramble will be the ones that stay ahead as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, which it definitely will.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you, Patrick. That's actually a perfect segue into the next episode that we're working on, where we will be taking a longer deep dive into how to ensure producers are getting the most out of all that packaging data they're working so hard on. Patrick, thanks so much for speaking with me today.
SPEAKER_02Well, Lee, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01If you'd like to learn more about how RLG audits packaging data and supports compliance, write to Northamerica at rev-log.com. This has been a Circular Sound Bites podcast from Reconomy. Thank you to my special guest, Patrick Viedemann, and to you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to more Circular Sound Bites across all major platforms or watch them on our YouTube channel. For more about Reconomy and the circular economy, find us on LinkedIn or visit reconomy.com.
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