Product Stewardship

Products

Stakeholder Group

Legislation Proposed in 2009

Resources

Product stewardship is an environmental management strategy in which all parties involved in the design, production, sale and use of a product take responsibility for minimizing the product’s environmental impact throughout all stages of the product’s life. The greatest responsibility lies with whoever has the most ability to affect the life cycle environmental impacts of the product.

DEQ supports product stewardship principles and the product stewardship approach as a way to:

• reduce overall environmental impacts from the manufacture, use and disposal of products;
• increase reuse and recycling;
• reduce toxics and waste generation;
• shift the cost of managing waste products at the end of their useful life from government to those who produce and use the products.

• Click here for the Product Stewardship Principles.

Products

• Carpet
  • Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE)
  • Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship PDF
• Containers
  The Oregon Bottle Bill and the Oregon Rigid Plastic Container law are early examples of product stewardship-type programs that work differently from the product stewardship programs we are developing today.
  • Oregon Bottle Bill
  • Rigid Plastic Container information
• Electronics Recycling (Oregon E-Cycles)
  The Oregon E-Cycles Program, created by the 2007 Oregon Legislature, is an example of a product stewardship program. Oregon E-Cycles provides Oregonians with convenient, free recycling of televisions, computers and monitors. It is funded and operated by electronics manufacturers who sell their products in Oregon.
• Mercury Thermostats
  A DEQ implemented rebate program for contractors designed to increase mercury thermostat recycling rates through the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC).
• Paint
  Oregon has become the first state in the nation to enact a law requiring paint manufacturers to safely manage leftover latex and oil-based paint from consumer and contractor painting jobs.

Product Stewardship Stakeholder Group

The 2009 legislature directed DEQ to continue working on the development of product stewardship policy and legislation. With assistance from the Metro Regional Government, DEQ has convened a stakeholder group.

• Product stewardship stakeholder group

Oregon Legislation proposed in 2009

• Batteries, SB 320 PDF
  • Fact sheet: Rechargeable Batteries PDF
• Framework, HB3060 PDF
• Mercury Lighting, SB 742 PDF
  • Fact sheet: Mercury Containing Lighting PDF
• Pharmaceuticals, SB 598 PDF

Resources

• California Integrated Waste Management - Electronic Product Management
• Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance: A National Agreement on Carpet Recycling
• Northwest Product Stewardship Council
• Product and Packaging Stewardship Review
• Product Stewardship Institute
• US EPA Product Stewardship page

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