TOMRA Group Feature Articles

As plastic pollution continues to soar, extended producer responsibility (EPR) is becoming an increasingly important policy tool to mitigate this crisis. Through EPR, the operational logistics and costs of managing waste are placed firmly on the producers of that waste, creating a financial incentive for them to create and manage their products and packaging in more sustainable ways.

Today, only 9% of plastic finds its way back into the production cycle after it has been thrown away — a far cry from the target the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive has set (50% of plastic to be recycled by 2025 and 55% by 2030). In anticipation of the third round of negotiations for the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution, where delegates from around the world will gather in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss the terms of the Treaty, TOMRA has published 10 recommendations for consideration.

Team collects 76,560 pieces of litter in global clean-up

System integrity is critical to a trusted, reliable, and effective system. Learn more about the final design principle in this series.  

EPR schemes ensure that companies take responsibility for the collection, sorting, and recycling of the packaging they place on the market, from start to finish. 

High-performing EPR schemes are built on a combination of five design principles, with convenience being a fundamental pillar that most directly impacts a consumer’s role in the system.

Analysis of EPR schemes shows that creating a trifecta of packaging targets drives resource efficiency. Read more about the second EPR design principle covered in this series: Performance. 

EPR schemes have the power to advance the circular economy, but they need to be designed properly. There are five design principles of high-performing EPR schemes. The first is Circularity.

TOMRA explores the potential of the circular economy in helping to achieve environmental targets and how to achieve a circular economy for plastic.

Learn more about Extended Producer Responsibility: What is it? Why is it important, and what does it mean for manufacturers, and others in the value chain?

The demand for plastic continues to grow and, currently, only 2% of plastic packaging is kept in a closed loop. What can be done to change this? 

TOMRA is here to change negative misconceptions about Polystyrene (PS) and prove that this material is not only recyclable, but incredibly valuable.

The circular economy is transforming the way we use and reuse resources, reducing waste and improving the sustainability of our planet. But what is the circular economy, and how does it work?

HolyGrail is a revolutionary digital technology that can enable better sorting and higher-quality recycling rates.

Here are five examples of circular economies that are transforming industries and already in action across the globe, including container deposit schemes for closed-loop recycling.