Several leading Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) , members of EXPRA, are taking cooperation to the next level by strengthening cross-border collaboration on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
Belgium’s Fost Plus and Valipac have joined forces with their counterparts in France — Citeo and Citeo Pro — as well as Verpact and Valorlux asbl. Together, the six organisations aim to better support companies operating across borders and to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable packaging systems in Europe.
This enhanced cooperation places particular emphasis on commercial and industrial packaging, an area in which Valipac has developed nearly three decades of expertise. By aligning approaches and sharing know-how, the PROs seek to reduce administrative burden and improve the effectiveness of packaging EPR schemes.
The collaboration focuses on three key objectives:
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Simplifying company data reporting through more straightforward and consistent declaration procedures;
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Sharing expertise on innovative reuse and recycling solutions;
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Enhancing responsibility and traceability for commercial and industrial packaging across national borders.
By improving data consistency and comparability, the initiative addresses one of the major challenges facing EPR systems today: fragmented reporting requirements that hinder cost-effectiveness, transparency and performance monitoring. The potential impact is significant, covering an estimated 70,000 registered producers and approximately 10 million tonnes of packaging reported annually across the participating countries.
This joint effort comes at a critical moment, as companies prepare for upcoming EU packaging legislation, including the implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The initiative demonstrates how closer cooperation between PROs can help anticipate regulatory change and deliver more efficient, harmonised solutions for producers.
Commenting on the initiative, EXPRA Managing Director Joachim Quoden welcomed the ambition of the project, stating:
“Congratulations to our EXPRA members for this forward-looking initiative. Developing joint approaches can lead to more efficient solutions for all of us. We look forward to following the progress of this cooperation.”