The UK's Extended Producer Responsibility scheme sends £1.1 billion to English councils for recycling. But when earmarked money arrives at institutions already failing to meet statutory obligations, the earmark tends to dissolve. LARAC — the trade body for council recycling officers — has called ring-fencing "an urban myth."

In this episode, we debate: is ring-fenced funding a genuine fiscal instrument, or a presentational device that cannot survive contact with a council budget under statutory stress?

We unpack 6 concepts you will need before reading the article: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the Substitution Effect, the 65% Lock, Section 114 council bankruptcy, the Additionality Trap, and the Ring-Fence Mirage.

Related episodes: The Council Bill, The Safe Substitute, When Recycling Leaves the Country

Topics: EPR, extended producer responsibility, recycling funding, council budgets, ring-fenced money, substitution effect, Section 114, packaging waste

Read the full article: youreanatural.com/consumer-intelligence/the-substitution-where-your-recycling-money-actually-goes