Arlington, VA, March 5, 2010 – The Reusable Packaging Associations (RPA) Board of Directors has adopted an official policy supporting Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility, it was announced today.
The RPA is embracing this important issue because our goal is to promote the value and expansion of reusable materials as preferred packaging solutions across supply chains, private or public, said Tim Debus, Chairman of RPAs Industry Development Committee and Director, New Business Development, IFCO Reusable Plastic Container (RPC) Management Services. RPAs support of these principles is consistent with our organizations mission and goals, and we believe the RPA can play an important role in developing an appropriate and responsible approach to product stewardship as it relates to transport packaging.
Product stewardship, as defined by the U.S. EPA, is a product-centered approach to environmental protection. Also known as extended producer responsibility (EPR), product stewardship calls on those in the product life cycle – manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers – to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products. The primary role and responsibility is placed with the producer to make development and marketing decisions focusing on efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of their product.
In support of the EPAs efforts, the Product Stewardship Institute and many state and local jurisdictions have worked together to establish the following five Framework Principles for Product Stewardship:
(1) producer responsibility;
(2) shared responsibilities with retail, government and consumer participants;
(3) governance of activities;
(4) financing of programs, and
(5) environmental considerations.
We support these principles because they are a first step in establishing a common public policy, or framework, to discuss and debate the best ways to handle the resources used for moving products in commerce. We think this shared common goal can benefit manufacturers of packaging products, the consumers who benefit from the packaged products, and government entities that must manage the waste that is generated, said Jon Kalin, RPA Chairman of the Board; Sales and Marketing Manager for Rehrig Pacific. However, the RPA will review emerging federal, state and local laws on a case-by-case basis before lending our support to any one.
Source: Reusable Packaging Association