Waste Reduction and Product Stewardship

Waste prevention is an upstream activity that involves reducing waste through adjustments in the design, procurement, and use of materials. Waste prevention has the potential for large environmental benefits because it reduces environmental impacts over all stages of the life cycle of materials: resource extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life management. Product Stewardship is a product-centered and long-term systems approach wherein the communities that are involved in the product life cycle – starting with manufacturers to retailers, users, and disposers come together to alter the full life cycle environmental impacts of the product, including the end-of-life management.

  • The Center for SMM works with partner organizations to accelerate a producer responsibility / product stewardship agenda including:

    • facilitate discussions with consumer product and packaging companies regarding the plan and goals,

    • provide a platform to serve as a clearinghouse / facilitator of the work of multiple product stewardship efforts, and

    • provide stakeholder engagement support and research and analysis for priority products.

  • The Center for SMM works with partners to identify potential sustainable options (e.g., design for the environment, improved packaging, new product designs, etc.).

  • The Center for SMM is reviewing options such as local resources for retail collection, partnering opportunities with local champions and stakeholders, identifying baseline collection items, making the public aware of items able to be collected for recovery.

  • The Center for SMM partners with Green Business Certification Inc’s TRUE Certification Program to increase public awareness of zero-waste and waste-reduction strategies.