Showing papers on "Extended producer responsibility published in 2006"

Reducing waste: repair, recondition, remanufacture or recycle?

Abstract: Between 1980 and 1997, municipal waste in OECD countries increased by around 40%. This paper outlines the very real negative effects of this increase and then introduces the two main European Union policies that have been established to address this problem: a landfill directive and legislation on extended producer responsibility (EPR). The paper then describes and compares the four alternative strategies to reducing end-of-life waste within the context of extended producer responsibility: namely repairing, reconditioning, remanufacturing or recycling. It also introduces a more robust definition of remanufacturing, validated by earlier research, which differentiates it from repair and reconditioning. From a consideration of the different factors involved, it concludes that remanufacturing may well be the best strategy. This is because it enables the embodied energy of virgin production to be maintained, preserves the intrinsic added value of the product for the manufacturer and enables the resultant products to be sold as new with updated features if necessary.

Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Design: Economic Theory and Selected Case Studies

Abstract: A core characteristic of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies is that they place some responsibility for a product's end-of-life environmental impacts on the original producer and seller of that product. The intent is to provide incentives for producers to make design changes that reduce waste, such as improving product recyclability and reusability, reducing material usage, and downsizing products. This paper assesses whether the range of policies that fall under the EPR umbrella can spur this 'design for environment' (DfE). It summarizes the economics literature on the issue and describes conceptually how policies should affect design. It then analyzes three case studies in detail and two more case studies more briefly. The conclusion reached is that some DfE - especially reductions in material use and product downsizing - can be achieved with most EPR policies, including producer take-back mandates and combined fee/subsidy approaches. However, none of these alternative policies as they are currently implemented are likely to have a large impact on other aspects of DfE.

POEMS: a case study of an Italian wine-producing firm.

Abstract: Over the last decade, researchers paid much attention to concepts such as Design for Environment, Extended Producer Responsibility, Responsible Chain Management, and Eco-design. Many management tools and standards (such as EMAS, ISO 14001, LCA, EPD, Ecolabel) have been developed to support companies in the evaluation and management of their environmental performance and to pursue continual environmental improvement. The more recent development of the aforesaid fields looks at interorganizational environmental management. Such an approach can complement the more traditional intraorganizational corporate environmental management approaches and tools. A typical example of this new trend is the Product Oriented Environmental Management System (POEMS), which represents the natural evolution of the above-mentioned tools, combining the features of EMS, EPD and Ecolabel. Although the structure of the POEMS is still not standardized, many experimental applications have yet been carried out in Europe. In developing a POEMS, a company needs to determine all of the environmental impacts caused at all life-cycle stages of the product and, ideally, to reduce all of them through a continual commitment. The aim of the present study was to perform a survey of the developed POEMS models and to analyze their peculiarities and drawbacks in the application to Small and Medium Enterprises. A case study regarding an Italian winery company is presented. The study analyzes the structure and the activities of the examined firm, in order to estimate direct and indirect environmental impacts following a life-cycle approach. The chosen functional unit is a 0.75-L bottle of red wine. The article also suggests some solutions to improve the environmental performances of the firm’s products.

Planning the Funeral at the Birth: Extended Producer Responsibility in the European Union and the United States

Abstract: This Article examines how governments in the world's two largest economies are diverging in their approaches to regulating hazardous products and packaging, with major ramifications for manufacturing, waste management, and trade. The European Union is implementing product-oriented environmental regulation based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility ("EPR"), which assigns responsibility to manufacturers to take back their products after consumers discard them. In theory, EPR could dramatically alter production practices by internalizing externalities from products and providing incentives for environmentally friendly design. However, practical problems of implementation raise questions about the effectiveness of EPR as a policy tool. This Article explores the European experience with EPR, the reasons for apparent resistance to EPR in the United States, and the implications of a move toward product-oriented environmental law. It critiques EPR on the grounds that the transaction costs of EPR may outweigh its environmental benefits and that practical problems of implementation may preclude the achievement of expected product design incentives. Given the substantial cost and technical hurdles to establishing the legal underpinnings of EPR programs, this Article recommends that the United States consider alternative policy instruments to address environmental externalities from products.

Design for recycling in the automobile industry: new approaches and new tools

Abstract: This paper presents novel design for recycling (DfR) strategies that were incorporated in a new software tool, combining the use of emerging technologies dedicated to automobile shredder residue recycling, together with design for dismantling strategies. Extended producer responsibility enforces manufacturers to maintain product responsibility along its life cycle. As a consequence, manufacturers are under pressure to dispose of products in an environmentally responsible manner. The auto industry has been particularly involved in these processes and, in particular, European Union directives stipulate minimum reuse and recovery rates for end-of-life vehicles. This framework provides a motivation for the increasing use of dedicated design for recycling tools and practices. The current end-of-life vehicle processing is embodied by two industries: dismantling and shredding. If until recently dismantling was a key strategy in DfR, the auto industry has been investing in the development of automated technologie...

Extended Producer Responsibility : An examination of its impact on innovation and greening products

Abstract: The term 'Corporate Social Responsibility' (CSR) is very much in vogue with companies communicating their values and achievements in annual CSR, Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability reports. Organisations and consultancies have been created to rate companies on their corporate responsibility and to advise them on business ethics and the environment, while others, like the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),develop and disseminate 'Sustainability Reporting Guidelines' for voluntary use by organisations reporting on the economic, environmental, and the social dimensions of their activities, products and services. Images of electronic waste in the form of discarded computers and other 'electro-scrap' dumped in Asia, other social and labour issues as well as pressure from civil society, prompted the electronics sector to develop an Electronics Industry Code of Conduct. However, despite this Code, the hi-tech sector continues to produce ever shorter-life, often superfluous products with inherently hazardous materials. Why are hi-tech corporations, which profess to be responsible corporate citizens allowing this to happen? One answer is that CSR initiatives, whether they involve Codes of Conduct or reporting guidelines, are voluntary. At best, CSR can be a way for the best companies to lead the way. At worst, CSR initiatives can even be a diversionary tactic, used by industry to pretend that they are taking action and to avoid regulation. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the subject of this report, is thus a necessary step, if the industry is to become a more responsible corporate citizen. EPR, as a principle of product policy, was first introduced into law in the early 1990s to address the lifecycle issues of products – especially what happens to them at the end of their life – using a target-oriented approach, instead of traditional command-and-control type regulation. By extending the responsibility of producers beyond the factory gates and creating economic incentives to achieve set targets for collection, re-use and recycling, manufacturers should become more aware of the issues related to the end-of-life management of their products. Rational manufacturers would presumably try to find a way to minimise the costs associated with end-of-life management by changing the design of their products, to reduce those costs. Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth Europe and the European Environmental Bureau commissioned this report to examine how far EPR laws in Europe, Japan and elsewhere are delivering improvements in products' environmental performance. This report provides evidence based on existing EPR programmes and anticipated EPR legislation, that EPR laws – …

Industry responses to EU WEEE and ROHS directives: Perspectives from China

Abstract: The electrical and electronics (EE) industry has come under increasing pressure to adopt extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies through the introduction of the European Union's Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (ROHS). Based on the findings of 50 questionnaires and in-depth interviews with China's EE manufacturers, this paper investigates the perception of and readiness of companies for implementation of WEEE and ROHS in China. It identifies key difficulties encountered by manufacturers in fulfilling the requirements and evaluates the effectiveness of these two directives in promoting environmental reform. The findings indicate that the extent of companies' responses largely depends on their market structure and client requirements. Supply chain management, raw material testing and cost implications appear to be key challenges in addressing issues surrounding the directives. There is little evidence to suggest that these directives have effectively driven China's EE manufacturers towards systematic eco-design. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Planning the Funeral at the Birth: Extended Producer Responsibility in the European Union and the United States

Abstract: This Article examines how governments in the world’s two largest economies are diverging in their approaches to regulating hazardous products and packaging, with major ramiacations for manufacturing, waste management, and trade. The European Union is implementing product-oriented environmental regulation based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”), which assigns responsibility to manufacturers to take back their products after consumers discard them. In theory, EPR could dramatically alter production practices by internalizing externalities from products and providing incentives for environmentally friendly design. However, practical problems of implementation raise questions about the effectiveness of EPR as a policy tool. This Article explores the European experience with EPR, the reasons for apparent resistance to EPR in the United States, and the implications of a move toward product-oriented environmental law. It critiques EPR on the grounds that the transaction costs of EPR may outweigh its environmental beneats and that practical problems of implementation may preclude the achievement of expected product design incentives. Given the substantial cost and technical hurdles to establishing the legal underpinnings of EPR programs, this Article recommends that the United States consider alternative policy instruments to address environmental externalities from products.

New instruments – old practices? The implications of environmental management systems and extended producer responsibility for design for the environment

Abstract: As the focus of environmental policy and management is shifting from cleaner production at the process level towards greener products, there is a need for new kinds of policy instruments and initiatives. Environmental management systems (EMSs) and extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems are efforts to overcome the limitations of the traditional regulatory approach. In this paper, I illustrate how EMSs and EPR systems have influenced the emergence of greener products in three case companies. These case studies are complemented by results from a survey on design for the environment in the electrical and electronics industry. Both the case studies and the survey indicate that the linkage between EMSs and product development is weak or completely missing. Therefore, the mere existence of an EMS can hardly be used as a convincing indicator of the implementation of an environmentally friendly design process. The results regarding the EPR systems are more positive. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

The Practice and Challenges of Electronic Waste Recycling in Korea with Emphasis on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Abstract: In Korea, generation of electronic waste (e-waste) has increased rapidly over the past decade. E-waste recycling can be one of the greatest economic profits for the recycling industry. However, the stream of e-waste must be dealt with special attention because of toxic materials contained in it, which can adversely affect the environment and human beings if managed improperly. This paper presents an overview of the current recycling and management practices of e-waste in Korea. The generation rates, regulations, collection systems, and recycling practices of e-waste have been discussed with emphasis on extended producer responsibility (EPR), which was introduced in 2003. Suggestions and future challenges are made in order to deal with potential problems associated with e-waste recycling and management in Korea

Solid waste management strategy in Botswana: The reduction of construction waste

Abstract: Various waste streams are growing in volume and complexity as the economies of developing countries expand. To this end, the control of the environmental impacts associated with construction waste is of increasing concern. While the implementation of environmental management has a direct contribution to environmental protection, it involves the allocation and investment of resources, thus presenting a profit-making challenge, particularly to contractors in the construction industry. This paper investigates construction waste in the Francistown area of Botswana as a case study. The study considers waste from typical construction sites in the Francistown area, which includes sand, cement, concrete stone, concrete, steel, timber and general debris. The data was gathered from a survey and interviews with project managers, contractors, site workers and waste management service providers. The survey shows that construction sites generate large amounts of materials waste. and Poor waste management leads to direct financial losses, poses a danger to the environment, and hampers the national waste management efforts of Botswana. Opportunities are identified to reduce material waste in the developing country context through the adoption of effective materials control and waste management procedures on site.

Is recycling technology innovation a major driver for technology shift in the automobile industry under an EU context

Abstract: A recent EU directive addresses End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) as a waste-management problem to be faced on the basis of 'extended producer responsibility' and stipulates minimum reuse and recovery rates for end-of-life vehicles. The task of creating an economically robust recycling infrastructure involves a significant effort to develop systems and procedures that will have to meet requirements established by the ELV directive. In particular, recent innovations in automotive-shredder residue-separation technologies and subsequent materials recycling are a candidate to constitute an alternative strategy to classic component-dismantling procedures. This paper makes use of a systems dynamics model, applied to the Portuguese ELV-processing infrastructure, to evaluate how current practices under different recycling strategies depend on recycled materials markets and on car composition. The main objective is to discuss how far recycling technology innovation can be a major driver for technology shift in the automobile industry.

Waste Tyre Management in Malaysia

Abstract: The research aim and objectives of this study was fourfold as follows: Firstly, to evaluate the number of motorcar waste tyres generated annually in Malaysia. Secondly, to study the current disposal methods and their impacts on the environment. Thirdly to determine the various issues /problems pertaining to waste tyre management, and finally to evaluate the status of current policies and regulations in relation to waste tyre management The methodology for the study consisted of desktop research, field observations, questionnaire surveys and discussions with relevant authorities and associations in the public and private sectors. The field `work was carried out from September 2002 to December 2003 in the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Darul Eshan). Three different sets of interview forms was pre-tested in September 2002, (for tyre dealers, related associations, tyre manufacturers and government agencies), improved and used to gather primary data beginning December 2002. A total of 109 tyre dealers, 13 government agencies, 3 tyre manufacturers, 3 landfill operators, 3 waste tyre users (recycling and reusers), 2 tyre related associations, 2 principal rubbish collectors, 2 related organizations and 50 tyre consumers were interviewed in the survey. All data were then analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results of the study indicated the following: i. There is a steady increase in the motorcar waste tyre generated annually in the country. The number of motorcar waste tyres generated annually in the country was estimated to be 8.2 million or approximately 57,391 tonnes. About 60% of the waste tyres are disposed via unknown routes. ii. Waste tyres in Malaysia are neither categorized as solid waste or hazardous waste. It is generally considered as business or trade waste; hence currently, there is no specific law or regulation, which govern waste tyre management.iii. Tyre dealers face considerable pressure when the waste tyres accumulates in their premises, often resulting in improper storage of the wastes, which in turn invites penalties from the local authority. In light of the above situation, they usually employ private rubbish collectors to dispose their waste tyres. They do not have any guidance or assistance from their principals or authorities for proper management and disposal of waste tyres. iv. Although private rubbish collectors charge a fee to collect waste tyres, it is unknown to what extend these tyres are disposed off in an environmental friendly and legal way. There is no verifiable data on this issue. However, the private waste collectors complained that the gate fees at the landfill are not attractive for their business. v. Other industry users such as tyre shredders, recyclers and other physical users also make use of waste tyres. Currently there is no institutional approach for managing waste tyre as a resource in Malaysia. Existing companies operate purely on business ethics, with profit being the bottom line. Without a policy and management structure in place, it is costly and difficult for the recycling companies to get a steady supply of waste tyres. Thus, these companies are now using alternative materials such as used and rejected gloves and tyre buffing, hence reducing the demand for waste tyres. This is a complex issue and highlights the need to examine the “tyre dumping” practices in Malaysia.vi. Although the landfill is the easiest and a legal avenue to dispose waste tyres, the gate fee for waste tyres disposal is considered expensive by many private rubbish collectors. Private rubbish collectors collect waste tyres from the dealer’s premises together with other rubbish: thus they charge a minimum extra fee. On the other hand, a high gate fee at the landfill deters the private rubbish collectors from dumping waste tyres at the landfill. Left with little choice they have to find alternative places within their budget to dispose the tyres. vii. Other industry users collect waste tyres for retreading, rubber reclaim and shredding. However, the demand for products made of recycled waste tyre materials is very limited and there is no regulatory support as in some developed countries Although there are some beneficial applications of waste tyres, the controlling or hindering factors are a steady market demand for the end products and a continuous supply of waste tyres. viii. High waste tyre volume consuming options such as ‘artificial reef construction ’ and ‘rubberized asphalt road surfacing’ seems not to be favoured options today. The Department of Fisheries has stopped using waste tyres to construct artificial reefs, whereas the latter option never got started commercially in the country. Large-scale operations that can remove this waste quickly and cheaply is needed. With these major options being discarded or less favoured the volume of waste tyres to be disposed would increase rapidly.ix. The adverse environmental impacts due to improper management of waste tyres, was deduced from field observations and “ad-hoc” data from interviews with municipal health inspectors and landfill operators. They include mosquito breeding , air pollution associated with open burning of tyres (particulates, odour, visual impacts, and other harmful contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, dioxin, furans and oxides of nitrogen), aesthetic pollution caused by waste tyre stockpiles and illegal waste tyre dumps (habitat for vermin such as rats and snakes), and other impacts such as alterations in hydrological regimes when gullies and watercourses become dumping sites. These environmentally related problems occur because of the lack of a formal, well-coordinated management system for waste tyres. x. There is a serious lack of producer responsibility for waste tyre management in Malaysia. Tyre producers or manufacturers are not concerned about the final disposal of their product at the end of its life. They leave it solely to their dealers to tackle this issue. The lack of producer responsibility in managing the waste makes the management of waste tyres a more difficult task. xi. Generally there is a lack of awareness and concern among the industry and the public on the environmental and health impacts due to improper management of waste tyres.xii. Lack of consistent and available information/data about waste tyre generation and management hinders the understanding of current management scenarios, which is critical in order to formulate pragmatic solutions. There is a lot of uncertainty how an issue in one sector of the industry can influence a sustainable change in another sector. xiii. It is concluded from the study that the important factors for establishing an effective waste tyre management system includes (a) the formulation of a national policy for waste tyre management, (b) the creation of incentives for the use of waste tyre recovered materials and to mandate the use of these materials in specified activities, (c) a single qualified concessionaire, (d) assistance to exploit value from waste tyres,(e) imposition of a levy, (f) extended producer responsibility, (g) a centralized administration and enforcement structure, and (h) public awareness programme.

A Description and Analysis of the German Packaging Take-Back System:

Abstract: The German packaging ordinance is an example of legislated extended producer responsibility (also known as product take-back). Consumers can leave packaging with retailers, and packagers are required to pay for their recycling and disposal. It can be considered to be successful in reducing waste, spurring the redesign of packaging to be more environmentally sustainable, and increasing refilling and recycling. The exception is waste packaging made of plastics, which faces the problems of export due to lack of markets for recycled products within Germany, the lack of capacity for recycling, the allowance for energy recovery within the ordinance, and the manufacturers’ focus on back-to-feedstock rather than back-to-plastics as a solution. This article looks at the ordinance and its effects to consider why this take-back program worked better than others.

Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Design: Economic Theory and Selected Case Studies

Abstract: A core characteristic of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies is that they place some responsibility for a product’s end-of-life environmental impacts on the original producer and seller of that product. The intent is to provide incentives for producers to make design changes that reduce waste, such as improving product recyclability and reusability, reducing material usage, and downsizing products. This paper assesses whether the range of policies that fall under the EPR umbrella can spur this “design for environment” (DfE). It summarizes the economics literature on the issue and describes conceptually how policies should affect design. It then analyzes three case studies in detail and two more case studies more briefly. The conclusion reached is that some DfE—especially reductions in material use and product downsizing—can be achieved with most EPR policies, including producer take-back mandates and combined fee/subsidy approaches. However, none of these alternative policies as they are currently implemented are likely to have a large impact on other aspects of DfE.

E-Cycling: Linking Trade and Environmental Law in the EC and the U.S.

Abstract: PART I INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Background, Intention and Structure PART II ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, TRADE LAW, AND ELECTRONICS RECYCLING Chapter 2: Regulatory Competition Chapter 4: Recycling Electronics-Preliminary Practical and Legal Viewpoints PART III ELECTRONICS RECYCLING AT THE CROSSROADS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND TRADE LAW Chapter 5: Product Requirements on Recycling Electronics Chapter 6: Waste Electronics Chapter 7: Recycling Schemes Chapter 8: Extended Producer Responsibility Chapter 9: Market-Based Tools Chapter 10: Information Requirements PART IV TOWARDS MUTUALLY REINFORCING ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND TRADE LAW Chapter 11: Conclusions Annexes Annex 1: Recycling Technologies for Electronics Annex 2: Examples of Design for the Environment Tools Deploying a Life-Cycle Analysis Annex 3: Marketable Rights-A Hypothetical Illustration Bibliography List of Cases Table of Legal Provisions Index.

A Research into the Recycling System of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in China

Abstract: All the countries in the world have done enormous work on lawmaking, technical problems of recycling engineering, managerial problems of recycling and the building of recycling plants, which has played an active role in regulating and promoting the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment. However, our country is still studying such system in the phase of a trial run, without considering recycling and processing as an entire system. Although the processing plants have been introduced, a recycling system is urgently needed to be set up. This thesis has put forward three applicable basic models in dealing with the recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment in the base of extended producer responsibility.

Solid waste management strategy in Botswana : the reduction of construction waste : technical note

Abstract: Various waste streams are growing in volume and complexity as the economies of developing countries expand. To this end, the control of the environmental impacts associated with construction waste is of increasing concern. While the implementation of environmental management has a direct contribution to environmental protection, it involves the allocation and investment of resources, thus presenting a profit-making challenge, particularly to contractors in the construction industry. This paper investigates construction waste in the Francistown area of Botswana as a case study. The study considers waste from typical construction sites in the Francistown area, which includes sand, cement, concrete stone, concrete, steel, timber and general debris. The data was gathered from a survey and interviews with project managers, contractors, site workers and waste management service providers. The survey shows that construction sites generate large amounts of materials waste. Poor waste management leads to direct financial losses, poses a danger to the environment, and hampers the national waste management efforts of Botswana. Opportunities are identified to reduce material waste in the developing country context through the adoption of effective materials control and waste management procedures on site.

Study on Extended Producer Responsibility——Talking from the impetus to "Circular Economy"

Abstract: The "Circular economy" is being developed in our country.The key is that we should find the impetus to "Circular economy".This paper examines a policy mechanism known as extended producer responsibility("EPR") as an important regulatory policy instrument in the developed countries.In "EPR",a producer's responsibility is extended to the whole life cycle of product,especially the post-consumer stage.The "EPR" can provide producers with impetus to develop "Circular economy".The article analyzes that "EPR" is very important for the development of "Circular economy",and it gives some suggestions to establish "EPR" in our country.