Under South Africa's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations, producers are required to contribute fees based on the quantity and type of products placed on the market. These fees are not a penalty, but a legislated mechanism that ensures producers take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products.

EPR fees are allocated to compliance and auditing, the development of collection and recycling infrastructure, reclaimer support, and consumer awareness initiatives. These investments reduce landfill waste, increase resource recovery, and strengthen an inclusive recycling system — making EPR fees a cornerstone of South Africa's transition to a sustainable circular economy while ensuring producers remain compliant and deliver measurable impact.

Under South Africa's EPR framework, fees are not fixed for all products- they can be modulated based on product design and environmental performance.

This means that producers who design products that are easier to recycle, longer lasting, repairable, or free of hazardous substances may qualify for reduced EPR fees.

By linking fee structures to recyclability, reparability, and environmentally safer materials, modulated and eco-modulated fees ensure that compliance costs are fair, transparent, and incentivise sustainable design with reduced environmental impact .