Why Product Stewardship? THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE Zack Hansen, Ramsey County Leslie Wilson, Carver County December 15, 2010

Overview Introduction - Why Product Stewardship? How Waste Has Changed The Impacts of Products and Packaging The Product Stewardship Approach SWMCB Roles and Activities The Future of Product Stewardship

Introduction: Why Product Stewardship? Local government charge for environmental and public health protection – the arm of the State. Environmental impacts – GHG emissions, water, landfills, toxicity. Local government costs, such as recycling and HHW management.

HOW WASTE HAS CHANGED

How Waste Has Changed * Grey area includes household ash

How Waste Has Changed Disposable By Design

THE IMPACTS OF PRODUCTS AND PACKAGING

* Use of Appliances and Devices 7% Provision of Food 12% Non-local Passenger Transport 9% Building HVAC and Lighting 21% Local Passenger Transport 13% US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Consumption View – Global © 2009 Product Policy Institute Source: PPI 2009 – Joshua Stolaroff Products & Packaging 44% Use * Provision of Goods 37% Infra- structure 1%

Plastic bottles thrown into the Mississippi in Minnesota… Our Waterways - Plastics

… flow downriver to the Gulf of Mexico and into the ocean, circulate through ocean currents… Our Waterways - Plastics

…and eventually end up here. Our Waterways - Plastics

Our Waterways - Pharmaceuticals Small concentrations of pharmaceuticals have been found in: –Drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans. –Water at landfills, also known as leachate, which can eventually end up in rivers.

CO$T All Minnesota solid waste costs are at least $1 billion a year, which is impacted by: –Clean up costs for 112 closed landfills. –Costs to manage Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Counties in the SWMCB six-county metro area paid a total of $8.6 million in 2008 to manage HHW. –Mounting state budget deficits.

So Why Doesnt the Current System Work? Current government waste management programs unwittingly contribute to: –Manufacturer design of wasteful and toxic products. –Consumer acceptance of disposable products. Convenient disposal perpetuates the problem.

THE PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP APPROACH

Product Stewardship Defined SWMCB Product stewardship means that all parties involved in designing, manufacturing, selling, and using a product share in the financial and physical responsibility for collecting and recycling products at the end of their useful lives.

Todays Linear Waste Management System ManufacturersRetailersConsumers © 2009 by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) Recycle & Garbage Bins Local Government Funded Landfill and Waste-to-Energy Processes Recycling

Tomorrows Cradle to Cradle System Manufacturers Retailers Consumers Materials are recycled into new products Take Back Programs mail-back, collection sites, haulers, local governments © 2009 by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB)

Current Minnesota Product Stewardship Efforts Focus on specific products to reduce government costs and remove them from the waste stream. –Includes e-waste, paint, CFLs, carpet, beverage containers, telephone directories, mercury auto switches, and thermostats. Products mostly with hazardous character. Significant investment of time. Some success, some failure.

SWMCB Initiatives E-Waste Successful passage of legislation in 2007 after several years. SWMCB and MPCA evaluating legislation in Paint Minnesota was the site of an industry-led statewide paint management model. Minnesota Paint Stewardship bill passed legislature in 2008 & 2009, later vetoed.

Beverage Containers Currently recycling 35%. Collection needs to more than double to reach 80% goal by 2012 (unlikely). Many of the strategies require legislative action.

SWMCB ROLES AND ACTIVITIES

SWMCB Roles COORDINATION AND REGULATION RESEARCH ADVOCACY EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION POLICY DEVELOPMENT

SWMCB Resolution On January 27, 2010 the SWMCB adopted a resolution for product stewardship.

SWMCB Product Stewardship Resources Tool kit available at Includes –Presentation: Why Product Stewardship – The Local Government Perspective –3 Fact Sheets What is Product Stewardship? Cost Considerations in Product Stewardship Programs? Why a Product Stewardship Framework? –Resolution of Support for local government

THE FUTURE OF PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP

Product Stewardship in the Future It could be: –The foundation for waste management policy; –A means to increase efficiency (that is, less waste) in business and government; –A way for government to reduce its waste management costs; and –A movement towards less toxic products (i.e. green chemistry or design for the environment).

Next Steps SWMCB focus on advocacy legislative package: –Establish an Extended Producer Responsibility Framework Approach Would create effective producer led reduction, reuse and recycling programs, to deal with a products lifecycle impacts Less need for government intervention and less money spent by government to manage products SWMCB also supports specific product stewardship efforts.