Kerbside collection is a foundational tool in the EPR toolbox, enabling the routine collection of household packaging waste directly from residences.

Bring in systems

In many regions, kerbside is complemented by ‘bring’ systems, dedicated drop-off points for packaging and other recyclables.

Bring systems are particularly important in rural or low-density areas where door-to-door collection is not practical, and they often serve as a solution for materials that require special handling or are not included in kerbside programmes.

As a tool, kerbside and bring systems:

• Provide broad access to recycling services: Kerbside programmes offer convenient, at-home collection of packaging waste, including paper, cardboard, plastic, cartons, and non-beverage containers. Bring systems extend access where kerbside is unavailable, ensuring equitable access -across urban, suburban, and rural communities.
• Support collection of non-deposit packaging: While DRS targets beverage containers (most often consumed away from home), kerbside and bring systems capture the rest of the packaging stream, including materials with lower market value or longer use cycles, which are typically not suited to deposit-based collection.
• Reduce public costs through EPR funding: Under EPR, producers fund kerbside and bring systems, shifting the financial burden away from municipalities.

Ultimately, kerbside and bring systems form the everyday interface between households and the recycling system. When funded and managed through EPR, they become powerful tools for increasing recycling access, improving material recovery, and advancing circular economy goals.

Links to external reading

The Recycling Partnership. (2023). Interplay and Integration of Deposit Return Systems and EPR.