ENGR9742: Case Study on German ‘Ordinance on Avoidance of Packaging Waste - Case Study

Internal Code: MAS 4667

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Case Study: With the economic growth and rising incomes, the increase in the volume of municipal solid waste is posing risks to the environment as well as human health in almost every country in the world (UNEP 2011: p.294). Municipal solid waste is also an issue that attracts much public attention. Waste disposal at landfills and incineration are no longer preferred as waste management methods due to their environmental impacts. Land available for landfills is becoming increasingly rare and incinerators also face opposition from the public due to perceived harmful effects from their emissions. Governments faced with the financial and technical burden of safe disposal of waste are looking into alternative waste management policies that minimize the waste going for disposal in the final receiving environments (Brisson 1993: p.188). Moreover, this escalating issue of waste is also directly linked to the increased material use and depletion of earth’s resources. Therefore, the reduction in the amount of waste generated should be a priority in any waste management policy. Question: Analyses the product take-back regulations to find factors that determine the efficiency of such regulations. Although it specifically looks at the EU legislation for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), the analysis is generally applicable to all similar regulations. Authors identify consumers, industry, and government as key decision makers whose decisions influence the outcome of the legislation. A ‘stylized economic model’ is used to analyse different situations and the results are backed up by observations and examples taken from WEEE legislation. The analysis is used to identify factors that should be considered in designing take- back legislation that is both economically feasible and environmentally effective. They identify that individual producer responsibility rather than joint responsibility is a key factor in achieving environmental friendly design outcomes. They argue that even in a collective product take-back system, cost should be allocated to each producer according to the environmental impact of the product in order to get the best outcome. They also point out that factors such as cost and benefits of recycling, the environmental impact of the product, the level of consumer consciousness and industry competition should also be considered when designing take-back legislation.