Company Reactions
We see it as an opportunity in the U.S., where we are getting into the recycling business. We're presently considering the European market situation. And there will be other major changes. Future transportation may not involve owning a car. Instead, you may own the right to transportation. We will make vehicles and either lease or loan them to you. We'll end up owning a vehicle at the end-of-life and have to dispose of it. We will treat it as a technical nutrient, making it into a car or truck again. We're getting ourselves ready for the day when this is truly cradle-to-cradle. We're not fighting it, we're embracing it.
Many companies, particularly multinational affiliates who reside in Europe, are supporting EPR, as they see it as an opportunity to be more competitive and economically efficient with the resources they use in products. Major electronic manufacturers in Europe, such as Apple Europe, Hewlett Packard, Sony Europe, and Intel and environmental NGOs released joint statements of support for the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE).
WEEE mandates that individual electronic manufacturers take back their products at the end-of-life as well as design out harmful materials and meet recycling/reuse targets. Manufacturers in Europe not only supported the EPR legislation, but also advocated for mandated individual responsibility, which means corporations have to take back their products independently. Individual responsibility is critical to helping manufacturers redesign products as the alternative system whereby companies fund a third party to collectively take back products does not reward companies who improve the environmental design of their products.
Individual responsibility encourages competition in the environmental performance and rewards improvements. Collective responsibility makes environmental improvements pointless and rewards the irresponsible and the lazy.
Electrolux’s ad on the benefits of individual responsibility verses collective responsibility.
Unfortunately, U.S.-based affiliates of the same multinational companies supporting EPR in Europe are advocating for consumer-funded, government-run recycling programs, whereby the manufacturer has little role in the end-of-life management of their products. This double standard within multinational companies runs contrary to the noted economical benefits of global standards that promote consistent policies.
For more information on company double standards, visit www.computertakeback.com.
