Extended Responsibility Scope

The scope of extended responsibility in waste accounting involves establishing criteria by which an organization proactively assumes extended responsibility for waste generation or leakage. Once the organizational and operational boundaries are clearly defined, delineating this scope becomes essential to address waste beyond immediate operational activities.

Extended responsibility scope defines the criteria by which an organization takes responsibility preemptively for its waste generation or leakage.

EPR Scope

Once an organization has established its organizational and operational boundaries, it must define its scope to properly account for consumer waste generation. This involves defining the waste sources and durability classes for which it is going to claim responsibility. The recommended scope for waste generation includes all sources and applies EPR criteria to all finished products.

https://www.notion.so/icons/add_lightgray.svg Flagging EPR Claims

All instances of waste generation, where consumer waste has been claimed a responsibility under EPR, must be flagged as such to differentiate it from other types of generation.

PLF Scope

When addressing consumption waste, organizations have the option to proactively take responsibility for the inefficiencies and failures of the local waste management systems where its finished products are consumed. This approach acknowledges the reality that some of the waste generated might not be properly managed due to systemic shortcomings, which don’t depend on the organization.

A Preemptive Leakage Factor (PLF) is a quantifiable measure, represented as a numerical value or percentage, that estimates the proportion of an organization's waste likely to be leaked.

Organizations can apply a PLF in several ways, based on various criteria:

  • Geographical Variations. Recognizing that waste management systems differ significantly across regions, a PLF can be adjusted geographically. This takes into account the efficiency and effectiveness of local waste management practices, environmental regulations, and infrastructure. For instance, a higher PLF might be used in areas with less developed waste management systems.
  • Temporal Changes. Waste management systems evolve over time, improving or degrading. A temporary PLF accounts for these changes, allowing organizations to adjust their responsibility over time. This could mean increasing the PLF in response to a decline in local waste management capabilities or decreasing it as local systems improve.
  • Material-Specific Considerations. Different types of waste have varying likelihoods of being leaked, influenced by factors such as recyclability, local disposal practices, and environmental impact. A material-specific PLF would vary based on the type of waste, with more resilient or hazardous materials potentially having a higher PLF due to greater risks associated with their mismanagement.