Jennifer Nash and Christopher Bosso, writing in Waste Management World, look at EPR programs. Among their conclusions:
"stronger EPR laws tended to be enacted after manufacturer-initiated voluntary programs yielded disappointing results. On their own, such voluntary programs may lack sufficient incentives to induce consumer participation or 'teeth' to ensure retailer and producer compliance.
However, strong laws do not on their own lead to strong performance. Success of EPR relies on the capacity of all policy actors to set high expectations for EPR programs and work together to achieve them."