Northwest Product Stewardship Council

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Last updated: November 15, 2001

Introducing the
Northwest Product Stewardship Council

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC) is a group of government agencies and non-profit organizations working together with businesses to integrate product stewardship into the policy and economic structures of the Pacific Northwest.

Membership is open to individuals and organizations who embrace this mission.

What is Product Stewardship? 

The Council is based on the following definition of product stewardship:

Product Stewardship is a principle that directs all actors in the life cycle of a product to minimize the impacts of that product on the environment. What is unique about product stewardship is its emphasis on the entire product system in achieving sustainable development.  Product stewardship emphasizes making the entire product system environmentally sustainable.  All participants in the product life cycle - designers, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers, recyclers and disposers - share responsibility for the environmental effects of products.

Our understanding of this definition of Product Stewardship is that it is an umbrella term that includes all of the following terms, which represent various approaches to product stewardship: product responsibility, shared product responsibility, producer responsibility, manufacturer responsibility, extended product responsibility, extended producer responsibility, etc. Council members need not endorse all of these approaches to participate in the activities of the Council.

Functions of the Council

Provide: networking opportunities and information sharing

Research: programs and policies

Organize: educational events, publications, and forum for discussion and action

Demonstrate: pilot programs that promote product stewardship

Understand: options, varied approaches and viewpoints

Coordinate: projects and partners

Train: through technical assistance and outreach

The Council may conduct conversations, educational activities, and projects in any or all of these areas.

Organizational Structure

The Council currently has no legal structure and will continue to operate for the time being as an unincorporated association of members. The Council was initially convened by a Steering Committee and the Steering Committee continues to coordinate and oversee the activities of the Council. As more experience is gained, the Steering Committee will work with members to determine the most effective organizational structure to adopt.

It is the intention of the steering committee to determine a long-term organizational structure in 2001. Until that time, the NWPSC and its Steering Committee will operate as follows:

Membership
Members of the Northwest Product Stewardship Council:

• Endorse the mission

• Share ideas and expertise

• Network with other members

• Participate in educational activities and events

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee of the Northwest Product Stewardship Council:

• Coordinates and supports Council projects

• Organizes regular membership meetings

• Communicates regularly with the membership

• Approves activities and projects done in the name of the NWPS Council 

• Supports educational events

• Participate in council projects

Subcommittees and Project Teams

Subcommittees: Outreach & Education

Product Specific Projects:

• Environmentally Preferable Computer Purchasing Program

• Retail Apparel and Retail Grocery Product Stewardship Demonstration Program

• Tires and Product Stewardship Project

• Medical Industry Waste Prevention Roundtable

• Tire Recovery Project (Oregon)

• IT Recovery Action Plan (Oregon)

For More Information: Email info@productstewardship.net.

Last updated: 08/15/01