The term "extended producer responsibility" was first coined in 1990, by a Swedish professor, Thomas Lindhqvist, who introduced the idea of producers being responsible for their products to the Environment. The first example of EPR came in Germany in 1991, in which a dual system for waste collection was introduced where manufacturers picked up household packaging alongside municipal waste collections. in 2001, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) published a Guidance Manual for Governments on Extended Producer Responsibility.

Since then, countries around the world have adopted EPR policies around key sectors such as packaging(plastic and kaveera), electronics, batteries, and vehicles.

Overtime the meaning of EPR has changed over; EPR programs are now aimed at enhancing resource productivity and circular economy.

Industries in Uganda consume up to 600 metric tons of plastic waste a day, however less than 6% is collected in a day, EPR policies have been effective in some countries, for on plastic Rwanda has been credicted, Uganda in as much as we have the National Environment Act, Implementation has been lazy  due to corruption tendencies ,political involvements and lack of transparency.

EPR policies exist in the form of take-back requirements, advanced disposal fees , refunds, buyback and recycling programs, which are intended to manage and improve waste management in communities.

Merits of EPR include creation a financial incentive mechanism for producers to manfacture products sustainable in the long run, because EPR places the end-of-life cost on the producer, therefore they are encouraged to increase the sustainability of the product, which reduces cost. This, in turn, reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfills and incinerators and increases recycling and reuse rates. For example, in Australia, in the first year of implementation of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, 44,989 tons of televisions and computers were recycled.

For the case of Uganda unfortunately, At the moment, Uganda and the vast majority of the world operate within a linear economic model , where a product  is produced, consumed and then discarded. At the end of life period of the product results in lost value to the economy and society. The current value chain does not include large scale reclamation or reuse. Brands, such as CocaCola, PepsiCo, and Unilever, create the bottle. It is then purchased by a person ,consumed, and then disposed of either “properly” where it makes its way to a landfill or “improperly” where it is littered. The largest and only official dump site in Kampala is the Kiteezi landfill, where a lot of  plastic ends up . If the plastic doesn’t end up in Kiteezi, it ends up in an illegal and unofficial dump site or within the natural environment.

Reducing the financial and physical burden from local governments is another benefit. In most cases, government or local municipalities do not have the resources or capacity to implement effective waste management programs. EPR ensures that waste is managed properly and gives local government the freedom to focus on other activities, such as creating legislation that clear ends pollution,the NEA prohibits importation and usage of plastic but again allows usage of polythen less than 30% such legislative gap creates noncompliance by some producers.

EPR has historically been successful in the managing of products that pose risks to communities, such as batteries, paint, mercury, switches, old medicines, and medical sharps.

The major demerit is that, at the international level, it can negatively affect imports to countries that have strict EPR policies as producers in other countries will not want to be subject to extra fees from these policies. Furthermore, it restricts competition at the local level as producers who take on the extra costs to accommodate EPR policies are at a competitive disadvantage to those who are able to bend the rules and get out of paying these costs.

In conclusion ,EPR policies  provide for the management of the environment for sustainable development, therefore Uganda as a developing country needs to design an organized and proper waste management chaanel,reduce landfilling since it has not solved the plastic problem,carry out environmental and health assessments of different producer designs to protect the environment  for the sustainability of the next generation.