Who is Involved?

Product stewardship recognizes that the responsibility for being eco-friendly falls on everyone. Here is an overview on how different groups are involved in the process:

Businesses

Manufacturers have the greatest ability, and therefore responsibility, to reduce the environmental impact of their products. Product stewardship also represents a substantial business opportunity.

There are several ways to improve the eco-friendliness of products, including eliminating toxic ingredients such as lead and mercury, reducing packaging, designing products that can be reused and recycled and creating take back programs for disposal.

Retailers

In recent years, the idea of green shopping has gained popularity, which is driven by retail stores and their environmental practices. Because retailers have the most access and closest ties to consumers, this sector is one of the gateways to product stewardship.

In most cases we buy products from a store instead of directly from the company that manufactured it. Retailers can get involved in product stewardship by purchasing products that offer greater environmental performance (energy-efficiency, organically grown, etc.), educating consumers on these products and setting up opportunities for consumers to recycle products in-store.

Consumers

All products are designed with a consumer in mind. They have the power to influence change with the purchases they make, and they dictate the success of a product, regardless of its eco-friendliness.

One of the key ideas for consumers to demonstrate product stewardship is closing of the loop. This means ensuring proper disposal of products as well as buying products made from recycled content.

Lastly, if a product is purchased that can have negative effects on the environment, consumers have the responsibility to limit its damage. Recycling is not always about creating new products; it also involves keeping harmful materials out of landfills.

State/Local Governments

A key way that state and local governments are involved in product stewardship is through solid waste programs that they manage. State and local governments will pass laws and incentive programs to encourage recycling, which reduces the amount of solid waste.

States are also grouped together by region in regards to many environmental laws and policies by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In this way, states will work together and create a regional framework for product stewardship, which will then be passed down to businesses, retailers and consumers.

Federal Government

We’ve probably all heard of the EPA, the largest federal government agency dedicated to the well-being of the environment. The EPA actively facilitates product stewardship by working with all of the above groups (as well as resources like Earth 911), partnering with businesses and retailers on its various programs and offering valuable resources to consumers.

As the nation’s largest single consumer, Federal agencies also demonstrate product stewardship by example.