Who Within a Company Should Be Designated as the Point Person for EPR Compliance?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is no longer something companies can manage as an occasional paperwork exercise. Businesses that fall under applicable EPR regulations need someone who can coordinate documentation, track obligations, communicate with internal teams, and ensure that compliance activities are completed on time.

But this raises an important question: Who within a company should actually be responsible for EPR compliance?

The answer is not always the most senior employee. The ideal point person should understand the company's products, supply chain, documentation, and regulatory responsibilities while also having enough authority to coordinate different departments.

A properly assigned compliance owner can make EPR Registration more organised and reduce the risk of missed obligations.

Why Does Choosing the Right EPR Point Person Matter?

EPR compliance can involve several departments at the same time. Procurement may have information about suppliers, operations may maintain production records, finance may handle payments and invoices, while sales and logistics may have relevant product and packaging information.

If nobody has clear ownership, important tasks can fall between departments.

Common problems include:

• Documents being submitted late or containing inconsistent information.
• No single employee knowing the status of an application.
• Difficulty collecting data from different departments.
• Missed compliance deadlines.
• Incorrect assumptions about which products or materials are covered.
• Repeatedly searching for the same records during regulatory filings.
• Senior management becoming involved only after a compliance issue arises.

Designating one accountable person creates a clear chain of responsibility.

Who Should Be the EPR Point Person?

The best choice depends on the company's size and business structure, but several roles can be suitable.

1. Compliance or Regulatory Affairs Manager

For medium and large organisations, a compliance professional is often the strongest choice.

This person is already familiar with regulatory documentation, deadlines, audits, and government-facing processes. EPR responsibilities can therefore become part of an existing compliance framework.

2. Operations Manager

In smaller businesses, an operations manager may be better positioned to coordinate EPR activities.

Operations teams generally understand how products move through the business and can collect information from procurement, warehouses, manufacturing, and logistics.

3. Environmental or Sustainability Manager

Companies with dedicated sustainability teams can assign EPR responsibility to an environmental or sustainability professional.

This can be particularly effective when the organisation already tracks waste management, recycling, environmental reporting, and sustainability targets.

4. Company Secretary or Legal/Compliance Team

Where EPR requirements involve substantial regulatory documentation, the legal or company secretarial function may coordinate the process, particularly when the company already centralises statutory compliance within these departments.

5. A Trained EPR Coordinator

For smaller companies, creating a dedicated EPR role may not be practical. Instead, the business can nominate an employee as an EPR coordinator and provide appropriate training and external professional support.

The important factor is not the job title. It is whether the individual has clear responsibility and sufficient authority to obtain information from other departments.

What Should the EPR Point Person Actually Do?

Assigning someone's name to an EPR file is not enough. The designated person should have clearly defined responsibilities.

Their role may include:

• Determining which EPR obligations apply to the business.
• Coordinating EPR Registration requirements.
• Maintaining company and product-related records.
• Collecting information from relevant departments.
• Monitoring regulatory updates.
• Tracking application and compliance deadlines.
• Maintaining records related to waste management and recycling activities.
• Coordinating with authorised recyclers, producers, importers, or other relevant parties where applicable.
• Keeping copies of registration documents and the EPR Certificate.
• Coordinating responses to regulatory queries.
• Reporting compliance status to management.

This creates accountability while preventing every department from assuming that someone else is handling the matter.

Should One Person Handle Everything?

No. One person should be accountable, but EPR compliance should not depend entirely on that individual.

A practical structure could look like this:

• EPR Coordinator: Owns the overall compliance process.
• Procurement Team: Provides supplier and material information.
• Operations Team: Provides production and operational data.
• Finance Team: Maintains relevant transaction and payment records.
• Logistics Team: Provides shipment and movement information where required.
• Management: Reviews compliance status and approves important decisions.
• External Consultant: Provides specialised regulatory and documentation support when necessary.

This approach gives the organisation one clear point of contact without creating a single point of failure.

How Does EPR Registration Online Fit Into the Process?

Many businesses search for EPR Registration online because online regulatory systems can make application submission more convenient. However, the technology does not eliminate the need for internal coordination.

Before beginning an online application, the designated person should ensure that:

• Company information is accurate.
• Product and category information has been reviewed.
• Supporting documents are available.
• Relevant quantities and business data are consistent.
• Authorised personnel have access to required records.
• Previous registration information is available, if applicable.

A rushed online application can still create compliance problems if the underlying information is incomplete or inconsistent.

Therefore, the EPR Registration process should begin internally before the application is submitted online.

What About an EPR License?

Businesses sometimes use terms such as EPR License, EPR registration, and EPR certificate interchangeably. However, the exact regulatory terminology and documentation can depend on the applicable EPR framework and category.

The designated compliance person should therefore avoid relying solely on terminology used in informal discussions. Instead, they should identify the exact registration, authorisation, certificate, reporting, and compliance requirements applicable to the company's business.

This prevents a common mistake: obtaining one document and assuming that every EPR obligation has been completed.

Keeping the EPR Certificate Accessible

Once the company receives its EPR Certificate online or other applicable registration documentation, it should not simply be saved in one employee's email account.

Maintain a central compliance repository containing:

• Registration details.
• Certificate copies.
• Application records.
• Supporting documents.
• Compliance reports.
• Relevant correspondence.
• Renewal or reporting dates.
• Records of recyclers or other compliance partners, where applicable.

This becomes especially important when an employee leaves the organisation or responsibility moves to another team member.

How Can Companies Make the System More Reliable?

A simple internal EPR policy can significantly improve accountability.

The company should:

1. Nominate one primary EPR coordinator.
2. Assign a backup person.
3. Define responsibilities for supporting departments.
4. Create an annual EPR compliance calendar.
5. Keep documents in a central location.
6. Review regulatory requirements periodically.
7. Conduct an internal data check before submitting information.
8. Escalate significant compliance issues to senior management.

This transforms EPR from an individual employee's responsibility into an organisational process.

Final Takeaway

The right person to manage EPR compliance is someone who can coordinate, verify, document, and escalate—not necessarily the person with the highest position in the company.

For most businesses, the best model is to designate one accountable EPR coordinator while giving supporting departments clearly defined responsibilities. This makes EPR Certification easier to manage and reduces the risk of missed information or deadlines.

Whether the company is starting EPR Registration online, managing an existing EPR License, or maintaining an EPR Certificate, clear ownership is the foundation of an effective compliance system.

The goal is simple: one responsible point person, several supporting departments, and a documented process that keeps EPR compliance under control year after year.