The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.
This time, Saif takes the mic solo to dive into a topic that - according to former Starbucks CSO Michael Kobori - is about to become everyone’s priority: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.

In this episode, Saif unpacks his "hot takes" on EPR that you won't find in standard reports. He explores:

• The rise of EPR: How a concept once dismissed by the "Jesuits of capitalism" as fantasy has evolved into hard law across Europe and the US.
• The hidden drivers: Why cash-strapped municipalities and visceral consumer concerns about waste are accelerating these schemes faster than traditional ESG regulations.
• The compliance headache: The complexity of navigating fragmented global schemes and the "who watches the watchers" problem regarding Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) and their conflicts of interest.
• The market reaction: How the "fruit flies" of the corporate ecosystem (consultancies and software providers) are swarming to solve the data burden.
• The opportunity for circularity: Moving beyond the "tax" mentality to a model where brands actually get their materials back - improving durability and reducing costs.

Rather than viewing EPR simply as a cost of doing business or a funding mechanism for waste collection, Saif makes the case for a strategic shift - where forward-thinking companies use these schemes to close the loop on their own products, driving true additionality and system change.

To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit Altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.