The term Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) expands traditional environmental impact considerations faced by manufacturers to those encompassing the entire product life cycle, from eco-design to product take-back, recycling and disposal.

It is well understood that recent international growth in EPR legislation will have a 'sink or swim' effect on the electronics manufacturing industry. The success of each stakeholder in the electrical/electronics equipment supply chain will depend on how well each one understands the larger context of global waste problems, and both legislative and corporate responsibilities to address those problems.