Merchant Take-Back Policies
Across the country, landfills and back lots are filling up...
with the detritus of America's disposable lifestyle. As a result, the idea that the true "cost" of a product includes the price of disposal is beginning to resonate with consumers.
Certainly any retailer in your town who sells readily recyclable products − newspapers, magazines, paper supplies, soda, bottled water, bottled drinks, electronics and cell phones − has a responsibility to provide a convenient method for customers to recycle those products at the point of purchase.
Local purveyors of products which should never enter the waste stream, including batteries, motor oil, oil-based paints and stains, wood preservatives, pesticides and solvents, should share the responsibility for their proper disposal.
It's all part of Extended Producer Responsibility—integrating the entire cost of a product's lice cycle into its market price.
The Take It Back Network is the product of a partnership between the King County, WA, Solid Waste Division and Seattle Public Utilities in which retailers, repair shops, charitable organizations and recyclers provide consumers with options for recycling certain products—and their hazardous components—in a safe and cost effective manner.
Resources
EPEAT is the definitive global registry for greener electronics. It's an easy-to-use resource for purchasers, manufacturers, resellers and others wanting to find or promote environmentally preferable products.
References
[1] Esenduran, G., & Kemahlıoğlu-Ziya, E. (2014). A Comparison of Product Take-Back Compliance Schemes. Production and Operations Management, 24(1), 71-88.
[2] New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2018). Plastic Bag and Film Plastics Recycling for Retailers. https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50058.html
[3] Penn State: College of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension. (2009). Household Hazardous Products and Hazardous Waste: A Summary for Consumers. (Rep.), 19-22.
[4] Subramanian, R., et al. (2009). Product Design and Supply Chain Coordination Under Extended Producer Responsibility. Production and Operations Management, 18(3), 259-277.