In a move to adopt “cradle-to-cradle” principles, California’s state assembly is considering a product stewardship bill that would require manufacturers to research ways to reduce waste at the end of the product’s lifespan. The bill’s language states that a board would draw up regulations and administer the program:
The bill would require the board to adopt regulations by July 1, 2011 … to provide environmentally sound product stewardship protocols that encourage producers to research alternatives during the product design and packaging phases to foster cradle-to-cradle producer responsibility and reduce the end-of-life environmental impacts of the product.
California isn’t the only state pursuing such regulations. Indeed, this California state web site lists a bevy of industry associations, international organizations, and product stewardship initiatives pursuing similar goals. Cradle-to-cradle principles, articulated by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, view products as maleable, able to be retooled into another good once their product life comes to an end.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
[...] sustainable practices is a huge one. Our team is monitoring closely developments in the State of California, the EU, and China to come to a conclusion on this that might predict the strategic direction firms [...]