Introducing the LIFE EPICS Sustainability Training Program

LIFE EPICS (Electronic Products: Impacts on Circular Economy and Sustainable Development) has launched its new training program in February 2025. This program is aimed at integrating sustainability into the retail sector. The program, Transforming Sustainability Knowledge into Retail Success, is designed to provide retail staff across Europe with essential knowledge and skills related to sustainable practices in retail.

The program has the ambitious goal of training 18,000 retail employees by 2027, equipping them with an understanding of European sustainability efforts. This initiative aims to help staff communicate sustainable features of specific electronic products in order to help customers make sustainable choices, as well as assist store managers in implementing sustainability practices that reduce waste.

Program Structure

The LIFE EPICS training program is divided into three modules.

The first module covers the foundations of retail sustainability and provides an overview of the EU’s Green Deal framework, key sustainability regulations, eco-design principles for electronic products, and country-specific implementations of EU directives. It also introduces participants with major electronic product categories, focusing on energy efficiency, repairability, and recyclability.

The second module focuses on practical techniques for translating technical sustainability information into customer benefits, covering energy labels, usage optimization, in-store sustainability messaging, and applying the principles of the circular economy to electronics retail. This will allow participants to highlight product lifecycle considerations and help them educate customers on their options for repair, reuse and recycling.

Finally, the third model addresses sustainable procurement criteria, approaches to reducing packaging waste, building sustainability partnerships with suppliers, and strategies for implementing sustainability initiatives in store operations.

The LIFE EPICS Advantage

The LIFE EPICS training program will be offered as a combination of in-person and online sessions to allow local partners to engage in the training at their own pace. The program emphasizes practical, efficient, measurable, engaging, and adaptable learning. It focuses on real-world selling scenarios, concise modules for busy environments, and includes assessment tools, interactive simulations, and case studies. To meet local and partner-specific requirements, the training program can be customized for different markets and product categories.

LIFE EPICS is working with Work-shop to develop the training content, while partnering with Halight to roll out the program via their platform to ensure an effective learning experience.