Transcript Product Stewardship in the Pacific Northwest

Waste is a Local Issue:
Product Stewardship in the Northwest
July 29, 2002
Shirli Axelrod
Seattle Public Utilities
Should elected officials vote on
prices before products go to market?
• Public Utility rates must be approved by
vote of elected bodies; no option to “drop”
non-cost effective services, such as to those
who can’t pay.
• Garbage, sewer, stormwater, safe drinking
water service delivery mandatory and
enforced.
Sound Business Practice:
Reduce Risks and Costs
• Should taxpayers and utility ratepayers
further subsidize manufacturers for the
impacts from their wastes?
• Should product prices reflect the costs of
production and disposal?
• Who is in the best position to choose ways
to eliminate or reduce producers’ costs?
Who can prevent waste?
• Solid waste facilities and stormwater
drainage pipes receive discarded materials
– that can pollute,
– that could have market value if recovered, and
– whose recovery reduces environmental damage
such as from greenhouse gas emissions.
• Manufacturers, not Solid Waste Agencies,
are the source of (and market for) these
materials.
Why Product Stewardship?
• Typical “solid waste” and “household
hazardous waste” methods aren’t suitable
for multi-material products
• High-volume/short useful life as consumer
goods, but their durable constituents (metal,
plastic, glass) should be recovered for
manufacturing feedstocks.
Mixed Municipal Solid Waste Transfer Site
Typical recyclables
are homogeneous
materials, suitable
for bulk handling
and mechanical
sorting.
Unloading at Solid Waste Landfill
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
How Much Are You Willing to
Pay for Someone Else’s Waste?
• “Ratepayer Fatigue” - public rejecting costs
of public services.
• Existing taxes and rates rolled back, bans
on new taxes in Washington, by recent
Statewide voter initiatives/referenda.
• County parks closed or sold, Seattle
libraries on furlough in August, bus and
ferry routes cut.
Product Stewardship at Seattle
Public Utilities
• Product stewardship is one of our primary
Comprehensive Solid Waste Management
strategies (1998 Comp. Plan, “On the Path
to Sustainability”).
• Environmental Purchasing Citywide Policy,
SPU staffing for multi-departmental teams.
Seattle Activities, continued:
• Sustainaible Builidng Program - Silver
LEED for new construction and major
remodels.
• Water conservation, stormwater pollution
prevention, and solid waste reduction
technical assistance for commercial
customers.
• Seattle is a founding member of the
Northwest Product Stewardship Council
Northwest Product Stewardship
Council
• “Working together to integrate product
stewardship into the policy and economic
structures of the Pacific Northwest.”
• Set up in 2000; held a national conference
on “Products and the Environment”
• Steering Committee and funding from
several Oregon and Washington government
agencies.
Work Program for Northwest
Product Stewardship Council:
• Selected product and process topics, as well
as general outreach and information.
• Priority topics:
– Packaging waste reduction (grocery, apparel)
– Tires
– Electronics
– Medical industry work group
– Mercury work group
Product Stewardship Activities
at WA State Dept. of Ecology
• Staff Task Force coordinating major
programs.
• Ecology staff participate in
–
–
–
–
PSI (Coalition member; Steering Council)
NEPSI (State government representative)
WEPSI (Organizing Committee member)
SWANA (PS sub-committee; SWANA adopted
a PS Policy)
– ASTSWMO (Chair of PS Committee)
– NWPSC (Steering Committee)
WA Dept of Ecology, continued:
• EPP: incorporating product stewardship into state
procurement contracts, notably end-of-life
management.
• “BEYOND WASTE PROJECT”
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/beyondwaste/ to develop
strategic plans for properly handling hazardous
and solid wastes. Plans are likely to include steps
to reduce waste in the design, manufacturing,
distribution, and use and disposal processes of
products.
How Can You Get Involved?
• Keep electronics out of the garbage; local
businesses can collect products for re-use
and recycling.
• Institute Green Purchasing in your
jurisdiction or company.
• Join regional and national dialogues with
manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, etc.
• Monitor and offer input on legislative and
regulatory activities.
Shirli Axelrod
Seattle Public Utilities
710 Second Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
phone: 206-684-7804
E-Mail:
[email protected]