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Translating operational experience into evidence that shapes policy, industry practice, and ecosystem development.
The Problem
Turning EPR Ambition Into Action: Research Informing Policy in the Philippines
A Replicable Framework for Evidence-Based Extended Producer Responsibility Implementation
In January 2022, the Philippines launched the Extended Producer Responsibility Act—one of Southeast Asia's most comprehensive efforts to hold corporations accountable for plastic waste. The ambition was clear: companies that put plastic packaging into the market must take responsibility for recovering and recycling it.
But ambition on paper doesn't automatically translate to impact on the ground.
Within months, critical questions emerged: Were companies actually registering? Was infrastructure being built? Were informal waste workers—the backbone of the Philippines' recycling system—being integrated or left behind? And most importantly, was the law actually reducing plastic pollution?
Nobody had comprehensive answers. The data was scattered, the implementation fragmented, and the gap between policy intent and real-world outcomes remained unclear. We saw an opportunity to bridge that gap.
The Solution
Why We Were Positioned to Help Since 2016, Evergreen Labs has been building circular economy systems across Southeast Asia—not from boardrooms, but on the ground. We've worked with 10,738 informal waste collectors, built 78 inclusive supply chains, and processed thousands of tons of plastic through community-based systems. We know how EPR is supposed to work in theory, but more importantly, we know what actually works in practice.
When WWF-Philippines and the Government of Norway sought a partner to conduct the first comprehensive review of EPR implementation, they needed more than researchers—they needed an organization that understood both the policy landscape and the operational realities of waste management in developing markets. That's where we came in.
Building a Framework for Evaluation Our approach wasn't just to collect data—it was to create a replicable evaluation framework that could track EPR progress over time and inform course corrections.
We focused on three critical questions:
1. Corporate Accountability: Are companies complying? We analyzed enterprise registration rates, recovery targets, and reporting transparency. The numbers told a complex story: 43.99% of obligated enterprises had registered (better than many expected), but achieving the 20% recycling target revealed significant infrastructure and capacity gaps.
2. Infrastructure Development: Is the system being built? EPR requires physical infrastructure—collection points, sorting facilities, processing capacity. We mapped what existed versus what was needed, identifying where investments were flowing and where critical gaps remained.
3. Informal Sector Integration: Are waste workers included or excluded? This was crucial. The Philippines' recycling system runs largely on informal waste workers. If EPR systems bypassed them, it would undermine existing livelihoods while building less effective alternatives. We documented integration pathways and identified barriers preventing inclusive implementation.
The Impact
What We Learned: The Reality of First-Year EPR Year one revealed both progress and persistent challenges:
Progress Made: nearly half of obligated enterprises registered (exceeding initial expectations); the 20% recycling target was achieved nationally; awareness of producer responsibility increased significantly; multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms were established.
Challenges Identified: infrastructure gaps (collection and processing capacity lagged behind registration); MSME support needed (small and medium enterprises struggled with compliance costs and complexity); informal sector pathways unclear (integration mechanisms existed on paper but implementation varied widely); data verification (tracking and validating actual recovery remained challenging).
One key insight stood out: EPR succeeds or fails based on infrastructure investment and inclusive design. Without physical systems to collect and process materials, and without integrating existing waste workers, even well-designed policy struggles to deliver impact.
From Research to Recommendations: immediate actions (accelerate infrastructure investments in underserved regions; simplify compliance processes for MSMEs; establish clear integration pathways for informal waste workers with training and fair compensation; strengthen data verification systems); long-term framework (regional collection hubs, certification programs for informal collectors, technical capacity building, performance-based incentives); policy refinements (adjust recovery targets based on actual infrastructure capacity, tiered compliance requirements, mandate transparent reporting on informal sector integration, enforcement mechanisms).
Influencing Policy in Practice WWF-Philippines and government stakeholders have used the findings to inform Year 2 implementation strategies, strengthen producer responsibility organization guidelines, shape infrastructure investment priorities, and advocate for informal sector integration mechanisms. Beyond the Philippines, the white paper has become a reference point for EPR discussions across the region.
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