4.5 s. arditi, ngo perspective on policy guidance

OECD-Global Forum – EPR & Design for the environment Tokyo 17-19 June 2014 1

OECD Global Forum on Extended Producer Responsibility

Tokyo Japan 17-19/06/2014

Setting EPR in a resource constrained economy

EPR & Design for the environment

Stephane ArditiProduct & Waste Policy Manager


EEB: the environmental voice of European citizens, observer in the OECD Working party on Resource Productivity and waste prevention

We stand for environmental justice, sustainable development and participatory democracy.

Our aim is to ensure the EU secures a healthy environment and rich biodiversity for all.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB)


EPR in context

upstreampolicy.org

One instrument among others (regulatory, economic, information) No one fits all solution, depends on economic situation, history and maturity of waste policy,... Polluter pay principle, but not necessarily leading to resource use optimisation

Question: Can we model EPR to deliver on resource

productivity and waste prevention in a more and more resource constrained

economy?


A prospective view on EPR

Make EPR work for resources use optimisation & reducing environmental impacts?

What scope for EPR?

What possible governance of EPR?

powerhouse360.com


EPR & Design for the environmentEnsuring a feedback loop between waste and product policy ...

WASTE PRODUCT

... Making the feedback loop

a virtuous circle

EPR

EcodesignTreatment standard

Design costEnd of life fees

Regulatory/technology push

Market pull/resource pricing


Operational approaches to make EPR work for DfE More consistency between ecodesign requirements and treatment standards (e.g in Europe: Packaging & packaging waste law; Ecodesign & WEEE)

Modulation of end of life fees / Individualisation of EPR (e.g in Europe: French way of developing EPR schemes, Taiwan and ADF differentiation)

Performance contract for B2B /Leasing B2C(e.g all over the world: Paying for the copiers service)

End of life fees paid according to return rate(experience still to be documented... Oregon and Washington mentioned)

Note: the 2 last ideas = moving EPR beyond waste management, towards waste prevention, product durability, service providing


greenpeace.org

en.wikipedia.org

Landfill or burn EPR untreated streams= miss opportunitiesValuable material wasted

=> benefits wiped outDiscussing an option (For Europe? And beyond?):Today, landfilled or burnt EPR untreated streams=> not separately collected => not handled and generally not paid by EPR schemes (with exceptions such as Belgium).

Tomorrow, paid by EPR, but not to collection operators, rather to independent (environment) agency reinvesting the fund for DfE innovation, waste prevention and improved separate collection actions.


Questioning the scope of EPR

yesterday

today

Challenges: Poor collection performances: a loss for all Not addressing collection within EPR means not addressing the costly part, but is collection under control of producers? If collection not covered by EPR, “cherry picking” risks increase

Overall waste management for EPR covered streams (simplistic view)

profits

collection

collection

treatment

treatment

costs


“Cherry picking” issueInterrupt the feedback loop between product design and end of life costs (des-incentivise design efforts)Foster sub-standard collection and treatment practices (getting the most valuable material for the cheapest cost)Undermine proper reporting on/monitoring of collection and recycling

First answer: Implement instruments for improved and comprehensive collection: collection targets, including for specific product categories (EU example); differentiate remuneration to collection operators (JP&FR examples); and proper enforcement


Optimising collection costs radically ?

lagerverkauf-cottbus.com

From whole appliances to critical parts...

Design for durability, for repair, for service

Tomorrow?

collection treatment

profitscosts

sz-wholesaler.com

www.rspinc.com


Towards a value chain governanceOptimising products for the environment, while keeping control on value chain to avoid leakages of most valuable/hazardous materials.

Producing Repairing Consuming Collecting Recycling?

AuthoritiesPRO

Producing Repairing Consuming Collecting Recycling

AuthoritiesPRO

Informing

Informing

Fom...

To...


Challenge: sharing not diluting responsibility

Direction 1: EPR orchestrating responsibilitiesÞActors along the value chain remunerated according to fulfilment of responsibilitiesÞEnhanced internal control as none have interest to lose their remuneration possibilityÞAuthority to strategically frame towards resource productivity and enforce

Direction 1 bis: Focus on non valuable streams (experience in Kenya)But also considering hazardous legacy & the certainty that “valuable” is assessed versus proper treatment standards.


EPR to lever resource productive circular economy Material ownershipProduct as a resource reservoirMaximising business opportunities/minimised material input

mrw.co.uk


ConclusionEPR to help combine more product and waste policies and deliver resource productivity results.

Next step of EPR could aim at direct waste and resource use prevention in a logical complementary step after securing sound treatment and maximizing recycling. How to create through EPR scheme (but not only) incentives for product durability, upgradability & reparability - product modularity?

Concrete implementation existing here and there and concrete opportunities existing in Europe with revision of packaging and packaging waste legislation, and with the current definition of WEEE standards combined with possible resource use requirements in ecodesign policy.

A possibility could be to gather together these existing practices and opportunities and document them within OECD updated guidance


Thanks for your attention

Stephane ArditiProduct & Waste Policy Manager