A new paradigm? Shirli Axelrod Viccy Salazar David Stitzhal Northwest Product Stewardship Council Product Stewardship

Agenda Introduction to Product Stewardship Corporate examples of Product Stewardship Strategies for Product Stewardship Case Study – What would you do? What’s happening now? –In the US –Internationally Resources

What is Product Stewardship?  Shared Product Responsibility  Managing the environmental impacts at all stages of the product life cycle  Avoid end-of-life product management  Putting Environmental Price signal in cost  Allowing for Change where most Effective  Creates:  Efficiency and Equity  Economic Incentive for Resource Conservation and Profits

How is Product Stewardship Different from Recycling? Recycling: 3 Focuses on single material products 3 Focus on Easy to Recycle Products 3 Consumer Oriented 3 Focus is on End-of-Life 3 Responsibility is with Government 3 Lots of effective Programs Already Exist Product Stewardship: 3 Focuses on complex products and processes 3 Is Business Oriented 3 Looks at the whole product chain 3 Requires cooperation between different parts of product chain 3 Responsibility is with businesses  New approaches are being developed

Product Stewardship Defined Product Stewardship is an environmental management strategy that means whoever designs, produces, sells, or uses a product takes responsibility for minimizing the product's environmental impact throughout all stages of the products' life cycle. The greatest responsibility lies with whoever has the most ability to affect the lifecycle environmental impacts of the product.

Principles of Product Stewardship From the Product Stewardship Institute Responsibility assigned to the industry Costs are internalized Incentives for cleaner products and sustainable management practices Flexible management strategies are used Clear roles and relationships –Industry – provides leadership, primary responsibility, develops programs, pays (or allocates) costs. –Government – education, procurement, technical assistance.

n Take Back n Design for Durability n Product as Service n Leasing n Environmentally Sensitive materials and packaging n Environmentally Preferable Purchasing n Product Chain Partnerships n Design for Recycling Third Party Organizations 00: Product Stewardship Strategies

Corporate Examples of Product Stewardship X from Nike X from Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters

PS Strategies in Action Hammering away at the status quo n Take Back n Design for Durability n Product as Service n Leasing n Environmentally Sensitive materials and packaging n Environmentally Preferable Purchasing n Product Chain Partnerships n Design for Recycling Third Party Organizations

Case Studies Do one of the case studies handed out, either alone or in a group. We will discuss the case studies after lunch.

What strategies might work for your case study example? How could you, in your current role (tech assistance provider, policy maker,NGO, within a businesses), support the case study example? What barriers might you encounter and how might you overcome them? Case Study Discussion Questions

What’s happening now: The United States Picture State Legislation and Programs Federal Program City and County Programs and Ordinances Industry Initiatives What can one jurisdiction do? Seattle Example

State Programs and Legislation Mercury auto switches in Maine –$1 bounty from auto manufacturers to junkyards PS legislation in Maine and Minnesota CA placed a fee on all electronics at purchase (little manufacturer involvement) OR and WA partnering to design a manufacturer funded take-back system for electronics through a third party organization. Federal Program Wide variety of programs, products and activities that include: electronics, mercury, carpet, beverage containers, radioactive wastes, vehicles and batteries

City and County Programs and Ordinances The City of Los Angeles passed a local resolution requiring retailers to takeback electronic products. The resolution didn't come into force as a state law was passed. Snohomish and King County along with the City of Seattle have created the Take It Back Network to support private sector options for dealing with end-of-life electronics. Partners include retail collection sites, processors, and manufacturers. Industry Initiatives Carpet America Recovery Effort ( is awww.carpetrecovery.org/ voluntary effort of the carpet industry. Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation ( is awww.rbrc.org/ well structured model with low recovery rates to date. Cell Phone Recovery Electronics (example to follow) For a summary of other industry initiatives, see

What one Jurisdiction can do City of Seattle Examples Who are we: –Municipality that provides: electricity, drinking water, storm water and sewer services, solid waste recycling and disposal services, street maintenance, parks and play facilities and community centers and libraries –We are the “manufacturer” of these products and as such, make choices that can positively or negatively impact the environment. What can we do: –Green Purchasing –Supply Chain Management –Env. Sound Choices in what we “manufacturer –Green Building - LEEDs

City of Seattle Supply Chain Management From this To This: Reusable, smaller and more efficient

Electronics one industry example Taking the Lifecycle Approach Design –DfE Green Purchasing –EPEAT –State and Local Programs –WSCA Contract End-of-Life –City and County –Pilots (NWPSC Take-it-back Pilot) –NEPSI –Industry Take-back HP, Dell, IBM, Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and Others.

What’s happening now: The World Wide Picture EPR vs. Product Stewardship Country Specific Initiative –Europe –Canada –Australia –Japan How do the US and Foreign policies relate?

Resources Northwest Product Stewardship Council EPA Product Stewardship Website PPRC Product Stewardship Website Minnesota PS Website Product Stewardship Institute –Links PageLinks Page BC Product Stewardship Program

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council Or your speakers David Stitzhal – NWPSC Council Coordinator, Viccy Salazar, EPA and NWPSC, Shirli Axelrod, City of Seattle and NWPSC, For more information on Product Stewardship