What  Is  Product  Stewardship?

How do we, as consumers, learn to consume responsibly and sustainably?  In short, how can we continue to buy and use the products we love without destroying the planet.

We know people can’t be convinced to give up all their conveniences, nor should they be.  Instead, we have to take a longer range view of everything we make, buy and use, otherwise known as product stewardship.

Examining Product Lifecycles

Every product has a lifecycle.  If we concern ourselves only with proper disposal by recycling products rather than throwing them in the trash, we are taking a small step toward product stewardship.  But we can take bigger steps by intervening earlier in the lifecycle.

Let’s use paper as an example, because it is one of the simplest products to recycle.  We can choose “paper” over plastic at the supermarket. 

The supermarket can buy bags made from recycled content.

The paper mill can buy lumber from companies that thin trees responsibly, instead of deforesting large tracts and leaving them open to flooding and soil erosion.  Every time a tree is cut down, another can be planted for the future.

The Supply Chain

Considering the plight of a piece of office paper all the way back to the tree it came from is called “managing the supply chain.”  Large businesses that make these products are beginning to “green” their supply chains: to ascertain that their suppliers are after sustainability in their use of raw materials.

Product stewardship involves the unique balance of businesses, consumers and government agencies sharing responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products.

8 Ways to Practice Product Stewardship

by Trey Granger on January 16th, 2008

Product stewardship is the process of evaluating the entire lifecycle of the products we buy and use.  It involves how they are made, how they arrive at stores, how you use them and what happens longer need them.  Here are eight easy ways to ensure that you are being a good product steward.

1. Stay Informed
   It’s hard to go five minutes these days without hearing about a company making its products greener (think hybrid cars).  But there are different levels of green to keep in mind. While a carbon the company to think of the environment, a change in manufacturing to remove harmful chemicals is probably more meaningful in the long run.  Companies play a huge role in product stewardship, consumers endorsing their efforts it won’t matter.

2. Spend Some Dough
   Price is a huge factor when you are shopping, but keep in mind that product stewardship costs everyone money. Companies spend more in manufacturing to produce eco-friendly products, so if environment (and future generations) will thank you.

3. Locate Your Products
   Imported cheese from France may taste great, but what is the cost on the environment for it to be shipped to you? Consumer products list where they are from on the package, so take a look at favorites are from the next time you shop.  An eco-friendly solution is to shop at a farmers market once a month.  Products sold here not only take a lower toll on the environment, but they support the local economy.

4. Check the Ingredients
   With all of the new diets these days, you are probably already doing this on food products to check for trans fats and carbohydrates.  So why not check out the back of all your products, looking affect their environmental impact. In particular, be on the lookout for products that contain lead and mercury, two chemicals that can wreak havoc on the environment.

5. Reduce Your Packaging
   When was the last time you bought a product without some form of paper or plastic packaging?  We’ve even immortalized the saying “paper or plastic” for this reason.  The reality is that much of recycled and piles up in landfills.  Obviously, you’ll need some form of packaging for every product you buy.  However, you can reduce packaging by buying in large quantities instead of individually wrapped products.  You can also (many stores now sell these) to the grocery store so the store will produce less paper and plastic grocery bags.

6. Recycle
   It sounds simple, but recycling is a crucial part of product stewardship.  You can recycle products like aluminum, glass, paper and plastic in most curbside programs, and household products like through many retailers.

7. Take Advantage of Take Backs
   The take back program is a relatively new phenomenon for companies (mainly electronics) who recognize the effects that improper disposal of their products can have on the environment.  It is often to consumers, and is an easy way to clear out some of the storage in your garage.  Check out a list of electronic take back options.

8. Close the Loop
   The recycle symbol has two major purposes: it tells you what can be recycled and also points out what is made of recycled content.  While in some cases you may be purchasing even knowing it (products like aluminum and glass are made largely of recycled aluminum and glass), lots of products will also point out that either the product itself or packaging is made of recycled recycled is how you close the loop; otherwise it becomes less important that it was recycled in the first place.

This story is part of Earth 911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas.