EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) is a policy approach to waste management in which producers - most often defined as a manufacturer, brand owner or first importer of a product - are responsible for the costs associated with the environmental impacts of their products. This responsibility extends throughout a product’s life-cycle, including its design, manufacture, packaging, transportation, product use and end of life management through diversion or disposal. EPR programs have been established across Canada for a wide range of materials and more EPR programs are being added each year. Today, there are over 40 EPR programs operating in provinces targeting materials as diverse as tires, used oil and oil related products (oil filters and containers), packaging materials, beverage containers, electronics, paints, household hazardous wastes (HHW), liquour containers, and pharmaceuticals. EPR programs currently represent over $540 million in annual economic activity in Canada. Given the increasing importance of EPR, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is developing a Canada-wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility. The goals of the Action Plan are to provide guidance on the development and implementation of EPR programs, to strengthen the use of EPR as an environmental risk management tool and to contribute to the harmonization and consistency of programs across the country. As part of the Action Plan development process – and an area of particular interest to provincial agencies that are responsible for overseeing the activities of Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) – CCME commissioned a report (based on previous related EPR studies and consultations) to create a performance evaluation tool to be used to measure the effectiveness of EPR programs in Canada.