We all need to help reduce the impacts of manufactured products on our environment. When a producer, brand owner, importer, retailer or consumer accepts responsibility for reducing a product’s environmental impact, we call this product stewardship.
New Zealand currently has a ‘linear’ economy. This involves taking resources, making products, then discarding the products when there is no longer use for them.
We are now making the shift to a circular economy. With this approach, we do not dispose of, or discard used goods and products as a waste product. Instead, we return them to the system through reuse, repair, repurposing or recycling.
A circular economy reduces the impacts of waste and resources have greater social and economic value.
The one-directional (linear) life cycle of a product from natural resources is Take-Make-Dispose-Waste.
The circular (continuous) economy cycle is Make-Consume-Enrich for biological mateials and Make-Use-Return for technical materials.
‘Product stewardship’ is one example of how regulations in the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA) can be used to reduce linear resource use.
Product stewardship is where producers, brand owners, importers, retailers, or consumers participate in an accredited product stewardship scheme which reduces the harm caused by products at end-of-life and supports the recovery of raw materials that are normally lost when these products become waste.
Product stewardship can be voluntary or regulated:
Taking responsibility can range from:
For example, the proposed regulated product stewardship scheme [Tyrewise] supports better management of end-of-life tyres. The scheme will push end-of-life tyres away from landfill, stockpiling and illegal dumping, and pull tyres towards environmentally sound disposal pathways.
In the proposed regulation, participants (such as organizations, groups, or individuals involved with the collection, disposal, and treatment of end-of-life tyres) must register with Auto Stewardship New Zealand (ASNZ).
A mandatory fee is applied to all pneumatic rubber tyres imported or manufactured in New Zealand, replacing existing ad-hoc disposal fees. This fee funds the scheme including the safe disposal and recovery of raw materials found in tyres.
Many New Zealand organisations and individuals participate in one or more product stewardship schemes that are Government accredited.
For further information on the Ministry’s product stewardship work programme email PSAccreditation@mfe.govt.nz.
For further information on circular economy see the Circular economy accelerator website and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website.