Beyond Copycat EPR: Designing Next-Generation Producer Responsibility for Resource Recovery in the Global South

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is increasingly promoted as a cornerstone of circular economy policy and improved resource recovery. Yet many EPR models remain conceptually and institutionally anchored in high-income contexts, where formal collection systems, strong enforcement, and stable recycling markets are more common. This paper asks: what would a next-generation EPR architecture look like if it were designed from the realities of the Global South rather than imported into them? Using a qualitative synthesis of recent policy papers, international guidance, country cases, and critical perspectives, the paper develops a framework for “EPR 2.0” built around five design shifts: hierarchy alignment, informal-sector integration, adaptive financing, data transparency, and climate-industrial linkage. The analysis finds that the most promising frontier lies not in replicating conventional OECD producer-financed recycling schemes, but in building plural, justice-oriented systems that fund prevention, repair, reuse, and inclusive recovery while strengthening local industrial capacity and resilience. The paper’s contribution is threefold: it reframes EPR as a governance system rather than a compliance mechanism; it advances a policy innovation agenda specifically suited to Global South conditions; and it identifies a strategic role for ecosystem accelerators and enablers in convening stakeholders, pilots, translating new concepts, evidence, and scaling practice and innovations across regions.