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Product Stewardship
Product Stewardship
Product stewardship is an environmental management strategy that directs all those involved in
the design, production, sale and use of a product to take responsibility for minimizing the product's
impact to human health and the natural environment throughout the life of the product
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a core principle of product stewardship where the
producer's responsibility for their product extends to the post-consumer management of that
product includes the responsible management of that product and its packaging at the end of
the product's useful life. EPR is often used interchangeably with product stewardship.
Ecology supports product stewardship as a way to:
- reduce overall human health and environmental impacts from the manufacture, use
and disposal of products;
- increase reuse and recycling;
- reduce the use of toxics;
- reduce waste generation;
- reduce resource consumption;
- reduce greenhouse gas generation; and
- shift the cost of managing waste products at the end of their useful life from government
to those who produce and use the products.
Product Stewardship Programs In Washington
Ecology currently has two product stewardship programs.
E-CYCLE
Washington is the state's electronics product stewardship program, in effect since January 2009.
Covered products include Computers, monitors, laptops, TVs, and soon electronic readers/books.
The mercury-containing lights
product stewardship law (RCW 70.275)
passed in June of 2010. The mercury-containing lights product stewardship
program is still under development. Keep track of our progress on the
Mercury Containing Lights Product Stewardship website.
Statewide collection of mercury-containing lights will begin on January 1, 2013.
Other product stewardship discussions or actions Ecology has been involved in include:
- Carpet
- Packaging and printed paper
- Paint
- Pharmaceuticals
Product Stewardship Principles
Product stewardship programs generally incorporate the following principles:
- Manufacturers are responsible for implementing and financing an environmentally sound
system to collect and responsibly manage their products. The products are often ones that contain
hazardous or toxic components, or are difficult to manage once the product is discarded,
or targeted materials with low or stagnant recycling rates.
- Waste management costs are shifted from government and the ratepayer to the manufacturer.
Manufacturers internalize the costs of managing the discarded products and may or may not pass
it on in the price of the product. No consumer taxes or fees are administered by government agencies.
- Manufacturers provide a collection, processing, and recycling system, which must be
statewide, free and convenient for all who use the system.
- Where possible, reuse of the product is encouraged prior to recycling.
- Manufacturers are given an incentive to phase out hazardous and toxic components, to design
less-wasteful and safer-alternative products that are more recyclable and to develop markets for
the recycled materials.
- Government provides a level playing field for manufacturers by adopting legislation, rules, and
performance requirements.
- Manufacturers are responsible for tracking and reporting collection, processing, and recycling
and progress on performance goals. Governments establish standards for collectors, processors,
and recyclers to ensure that the materials are handled in an environmentally sound manner.
- Governments provide oversight and enforcement.
Product stewardship policies are gradually moving from single-product programs toward a framework
approach. The framework approach establishes consistent principles, clearly defined roles for
all parties, predictability and an open process for adding new products.
For more information on Product Stewardship go to these websites:
Where Can I Recycle Today?
Visit
1800recycle.wa.gov or
www.earth911.org to find recycling services in your area.
Contact Information
Kara Steward
(360) 407-6250
Washington State Department of Ecology
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
