Product Stewardship for Manufacturers

Elements of Starting a Take-back Program

Assess whether your product(s) have good potential under a take-back program, from a physical and economic perspective

Reason: Some products may not be good take-back candidates for one reason or another

Examples (from the physical perspective):

Product types typical of take-back:

• Packaging that is reusable or recyclable, e.g., disposable cameras, cardboard
• Products that become obsolete rapidly or or have limited lifespan, e.g., furniture, electronics, whitegoods
• Products that contain significant material or energy value after use, e.g., power tools, batteries
• Products that contain valuable components that can be refurbished and reused, e.g., photocopiers, print cartridges

Also consider facility and operational feasibility

Example (from the economic perspective):

• An economic analysis considering all costs and environmental or cost savings can determine whether the business wants to implement. The analyses can identify if the program will be cost-effective, if some costs will need to be internalized, or if product prices will need to raise

Start incrementally, focusing first on products that create a serious disposal problem

Reason: A comprehensive and successful take-back program requires diligent design and planning; incremental implementation may gain more acceptance and participation
Example: Focus on product(s) that are high volume, contain hazardous or toxic constituents, have significant embodied energy or resource, or have no functioning end markets

Design for the Environment

Reason: Facilitates easy disassembly, refurbishing, reuse or recycling
Examples:

• Xerox Corporation (see case studies) designs new digital copier for remanufacturing
• Mark components and parts with a code indicating material content. Some of Bosch's older tools do not have different components or materials coded or identified. Upon take-back, if a material cannot be identified, the complete tool must be shredded and only the metals recovered
• Herman Miller, Steelcase, and Wilkhahn, furniture manufacturers, use DfE strategies which enable easier reconditioning for a second life, and disassembly for service, repair, and material recovery
• View a diagram showing DfE relationship to take-back with respect to equipment and appliances, and see our DfE section

Develop a material and product distribution tracking system

Reason: Account properly for take-back
Examples: Mark components; use a comprehensive database to document distribution of products and components; use barcoded inventories

Ensure viable uses and markets for returned/recycled materials

Reason: If materials will be cost-effectively taken back or recycled, they must have some residual value
Examples:

• Test the recycled material in new applications; in-house or external to your company. NIKE has found that some markets for the end-of-life goods they take back are quite volatile, and as such, has developed product formulations that use the materials as a feedstock back into new products
• Test the end product for market acceptance

Set up a collection infrastructure and system

Reason: To get maximum customer participation, return must be relatively easy for the consumer to find and use
Examples:

• If materials are not usable in-house, partner with municipalities, recyclers, and purchasers. Include quality and sanitation control requirements in product instructions or packaging
• Bosch customers can send used power tools directly to Bosch or return them to designated retailers who provide a new battery or complete tool at a discount price. Their retailers are required to manage the logistics and transportation of tools back to a Bosch facility.

Inform the consumers (and distributors)

Reason: It's interesting, gets attention, and increases likelihood of return
Examples:

• Discuss benefits of take-back such as reusing the materials requires less energy than creating new products/packaging with virgin materials. Include quantifiable energy savings, emission reductions, material reductions, or other benefits
• Discuss how returns will be reutilized - describe the recycling process for cardboard, or the process of grinding, cleaning and re-extruding plastic for use in a new product.
• Instruct how to return the goods - include where, when, and quality or contamination issues

If feasible, provide incentives for returning

Reason: Increases likelihood of return
Examples: Offer a donation of $1 to an environmental organization for every returned print cartridge, or $10 or credit toward customer's next purchase

Develop packaging to improve the recyclability of your company's products or packaging

Reason: Increases likelihood of return
Example: The Packaging Council of Australia has a set of the best links for packaging design, reduction, and reuse

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