Product Stewardship occurs when all those involved in the life cycle of a product take shared responsibility to reduce health and environmental impacts and gain the most value from a product.
Product Stewards continuously improve efforts at each stage of the life cycle to:
- use the LEAST material and energy
- use materials that can be MANAGED SAFELY by
- preventing losses and exposures
- reducing toxicity and safety hazards
- use processes that are EFFICIENT in materials transfer
- capture and REUSE and/or RECOVER material and energy
- preferably within the same product life cycle
Every loss of material or inefficient energy transfer represents a RISK:
- depletion of natural resources
- exposure to workers, users, the environment
- contribution to climate change and other ecosystem degradation
OPPORTUNITIES arise for each commercial player in the life cycle of a product to:
- save money
- by eliminating wasted materials and energy and the costs to manage waste purchases, storage, transportation, compliance, manpower and time
- increase loyalty and reputation
- employees, customers, shareholders and communities want to deal with product stewards who care about their health and environment
- supply chain partners who want to work with a product steward
- satisfy customers with new services and products
- by saving customer’s money by reducing their risks and costs
- by identifying new ways to satisfy needs with products that have good life cycle management
- make money
OPPORTUNITIES arise for customers, communities and the environment throughout the life cycle of a product because
- products are more SUSTAINABLE
- products better meet ALL STAKEHOLDER needs
PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP – because it’s the right thing to do!
