Extended Producer Responsibility
摘要
According to Thomas Lindhqvist “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) … is a policy principle to promote total life cycle environmental improvements of product systems by extending the responsibility of the manufacturers of the product to various parts of the entire life cycle of the product, and especially to the take-back, recycling and final disposal of the product” (Lindhqvist 2000). The perception of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is illustrated using selected examples of plastic products from the packaging, agriculture, building & construction, and furniture markets. These examples may be suggestions for application in other markets considering local conditions, or for seeking similar solutions for other products. Section 11.1 on industrial packaging gives an impression of how EPR systems initiated by manufacturers function and gives an overview of EPR systems operating in Europe. Section 11.2 on PET beverage bottles provides a worldwide overview of existing and planned Deposit Return Schemes with selected return rates. Section 11.3 on agricultural plastics compiles succesfully operating EPR systems in Europe and Canada. Section 11.4 on PVC products and section 11.5 on EPS insulation materials deal with EPR systems in the B&C sector. Section 11.6. on PUR flexible foam focuses on products in the home and furniture sector in terms of product responsibility. The final Outlook in Section 11.7 discusses the need for further EPR systems and possibilities and frame conditions of rolling out voluntary and statutory EPR systems on a collective or individual basis for other products or product groups.