Packaging rules push circular design decisions upstream
Extended producer responsibility fees are changing product design meetings, not just waste contracts.
By Tomas Lindqvist · 21 August 2026 · 5 min read
Fee modulation is doing what a decade of voluntary pledges could not: putting material choice on the agenda at the design stage.
Manufacturers report that recyclability is now scored alongside unit cost, with procurement teams renegotiating multi-year supply contracts to secure recycled feedstock.
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