Managing Director
Perchards monitored and assessed legislative developments on packaging, e-waste and spent batteries worldwide, and helped companies with compliance. We advised more than 350 clients in 36 countries, and our web-based information service (now operated by SAGISepr.com) is used by subscribers from all over the world. David was involved with packaging policy ever since the European Commission got involved in 1974. He led most of Perchards' public-sector studies, including a major report for the Commission on the implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and its impact on the functioning of the Internal Market. From 2001-2007 he took part in a series of Commission seminars in EU candidate countries, explaining aspects of implementation of the Directive, lessons learned by existing member states and the pitfalls to be avoided.He worked extensively on packaging policy in Australia, gave evidence to a Knesset committee in Israel and helped prepare South Africa's Packaging and Paper Industry Waste Management Plan. In 2011 he outlined European experience of extended producer responsibility at a US state legislators' forum.He has written papers on packaging eco-design, and was Packaging Consultant to CEN, the European Standards Committee, 1998-2006. He was Vice-President of the Global Product Stewardship Council, which brings together experts from around the world to identify where product stewardship and EPR schemes for packaging and other products would be beneficial and where they would not, and the local factors likely to determine success or failure. Lessons from one jurisdiction can only be applied to another if there is a solid understanding of the starting-points in the countries being compared, taking account of legislation and political trends, industry infrastructure and social and economic conditions.He has now retired, but is always glad to hear from old friends and colleagues.
