California Advocates Producer Responsibility For Toxic Products

The California Integrated Waste Management Board recently adopted a Producer Responsibility Directive to seek legal authority to hold manufacturers responsible for the environmental harm of the goods they produce from cradle to grave. According to the CA Product Stewardship Council, local governments in the state do not have the resources or capacity to manage toxic products effectively. The group estimates that the cost of collecting and properly disposing of or recycling these products easly exceeds $100 million a year. This new initiative is supported by local governments in California, especially since a statewide disposal ban on some toxic household products, such as fluorescent lamps and batteries, went into effect recently. The hope is that adopting the directive will establish California as a leader in the growing international movement towards extending producer responsibility. For more information, visit the Product Policy Institute's website at www.productpolicy.org/resources/index.html.

Close Window