New report shows up New Zealand's poor product recycling performance

A new report released today by environmental consultants Envision New Zealand provides case studies from around the world showing how governments are grappling with the growing problem of product waste – obsolete products that have reached the end of their useful life and are proliferating in landfills.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), or Product Stewardship as it is sometimes called, is a policy approach that transfers the cost of product disposal and recycling from councils and ratepayers to manufacturers and consumers. A key outcome of this shift in responsibility is the redesign of products to enable more efficient recovery and recycling.

"The case studies included in the report show that EPR is a growing force worldwide" said report co-author Alan Liefting of Envision New Zealand. "New Zealand does not compare well in the EPR stakes due to the long-standing reliance on voluntary schemes - favoured by industry but seldom as effective as mandatory programmes. "Product disposal costs should be paid for by producers, not by ratepayers".

"The report provides a useful reference for councils, manufacturers, policy makers and anyone interested in waste and sustainability issues."

The report can be downloaded from the Envision website.

ENDS