Scottish Government
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Don 't bin it!

The responsibility of companies to help ensure their products are properly managed at the end of their lifecycles has been brought under the microscope in a report published today by the Scottish Government.

Producers of items such as packaging, electronic equipment and vehicles could play a more effective role in the responsible management of these items at the end of their lifecycle, according to the new study. The report highlights how effective producer responsibility regimes can also drive waste prevention and reduction.

Actions explored in the report include:

  • Scotland-specific targets for packaging recovery calculated to drive local recycling
  • Deposit Return Schemes for drinks packaging
  • Changing the 'take-back' mechanism for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at retail shops so consumers can hand in an old product at any shop currently selling equipment in the same category, without having to purchase a new product.
  • Scottish control of End of Life Vehicle (ELV) scrappage
  • Market development activities for materials and parts recovered from ELVs

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said:

"Local authorities have the main responsibility for dealing with household waste, but manufacturers and retailers also have a responsibility to play their part in preventing waste and encouraging recycling. This report will help us decide how best to ensure responsibilities are shared fairly.

"As Scotland's Zero Waste Plan is driven forward, there is scope to consider how existing producer responsibility regimes may more effectively influence and improve the management of waste and resources.

"The Scottish Government wants to make recycling packaging and waste electrical equipment as easy as possible for the consumer.

"In some European countries where producer responsibility is applied across a range of products and packaging, around 15 per cent of the cost of managing household waste is funded through support from the producer responsibility schemes.

"Making producer responsibility work in Scotland is part of the ambition to see waste treated as a valuable resource that can create country-wide benefits such as jobs and environmentally-friendly power generation.

"A zero waste society shares the responsibility of effectively managing waste. Effective producer responsibility is another step on the journey to a cleaner, greener Scotland."

This report is in accordance with Action 12 of the Zero Waste Plan (June 2010). The Scottish Government committed to commission a study into the implementation of existing producer responsibility directives and initiatives in Scotland (including plastic bags, electronic equipment, batteries, and packaging), to determine how revisions could be made to drive waste prevention and recyclate markets in Scotland.

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