Extended Producer Responsibility: Over 100 Moldovan producers learn what this principle is and how it applies

Between September and October, the European Business Association organized three information workshops on Extended Producer Responsibility, an essential and mandatory environmental policy for all companies that produce, import or export packaged products. The objective of sessions is to increase awareness and information among domestic producers about the new legislative changes they need to take into account.

The workshops, under the theme "Extended Liability of Producers for Packaging Waste: Legislative Requirements for Registration, Reporting and Payment of Environmental Tax", took place in three key economic centers of the country – Chisinau, Balti and Comrat. Legislative changes influence the activity of all companies, and knowledge of the new regulations becomes essential. Over 100 companies from various fields of the economy actively participated in the seminars.

However, for many entrepreneurs, the REP principle is still unknown due to the lack of up-to-date information and knowledge on waste management systems. Starting in 2023, economic operators must register in the Automated Information System—Waste Management (SIA-MD) to be able to market products that generate packaging waste in the process of use.

“Because REP is a new principle, participants have many questions about its practical implementation. In our meetings, we provide details, examples of good practices, and clearly explain what manufacturers have to accomplish. Through these information sessions, we aim to increase the level of awareness of Moldovan companies regarding the management of the waste produced, as well as to clarify their obligations and rights ", said Eugen Cozmulici, Policy and Advocacy Manager, EBA Moldova.

The most common mistakes made by manufacturers include incorrect identification of reporting and capitalization obligations, irrelevant calculation methods, erroneous estimates and calculations, lack of traceability documents or non-compliant documents, as well as failure to declare reusable packaging or lack of evidence for it.

The company produces but has to pay for what it pollutes

In practice, REP includes a set of responsibilities of the manufacturer of a product from the design and packaging design stage to the post-consumer stage. Finally, the manufacturer has the obligation to collect the remaining packaging and to ensure its recycling so as to ensure the protection of the environment, which also includes additional expenses such as: collection, transport, sorting, recovery, information of the population and others. 

The manufacturing company is therefore obliged to ensure a waste collection and management system, either collectively or individually. In the Republic of Moldova, most companies with packaged products choose a collective collection system, which implies an efficiency of the company's resources: release from the obligation to pay the environmental tax for packaging, the possibility to reduce the negative impact of waste on the environment and support it in complying with the legal requirements related to the management of packaging waste.

The training sessions were organized with the support of Switzerland and Helvetas, through the OPTIM Project.