Waste, use of resources, and reduction in energy consumption are growing concerns for American legislators, regulators and the public. Many innovative companies are paying attention and responding with voluntary product stewardship initiatives and internal directives that best suit their business models. Product stewardship legislation creates programs that are sensitive to market forces. Businesses like the ones below are finding ways to:
- Design products that can be more easily recycled.
- Use low or no toxicity materials that are not hazardous to human health and the environment.
- Use recycled materials in the design of product and packaging.
- Conserve resources and reduce waste at all stages, from product design to distribution.
Business Case for Product Stewardship
- Business Case for Product Stewardship NYPSC/ Product Policy Institute
- Companies Pick Up Used Packaging, and Recycling’s Cost New York Times
- How Corporate America Might Just Save Recycling Forbes.com
- Product Stewardship in Action: The Business Case for Lifecycle Thinking (Webinar Recording) Product Stewardship Institute (PSI)
Companies with Product Stewardship Initiatives
- Caterpillar: “Cradle-to-Cradle: Achieving the Vision Through Remanufacturing”
- Coca-Cola: “Coca-Cola to Open World’s Largest Bottle Recycling Facility”
- General Motors: “Half of GM Plants to Be Landfill-Free By Late 2010”
- Hewlett Packard: “HP Reduces Laptop Packaging 97 Percent for Wal-Mart”