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Extended Producer Responsibility is the principle that producers of products are responsible for the environmental impacts of their products throughout the product’s life cycle. This cradle to cradle responsibility includes upstream environmental impact inherent in the selection of materials for the products, impacts during the production process itself, and downstream impacts during use and disposal of the products.
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The focus is on producers because in most cases they have the greatest ability to reduce the product’s environmental impacts. Producers are in the best position to design products to minimize upstream environmental impacts (‘clean production’) and to provide for the environmentally sound management of their products at the end of the product’s life (‘take-back’).
Environmental responsibility is linked to the social responsibility of producers to ensure worker safety in all the workplaces throughout the product’s life cycle. Producers can be required to ensure that they source their raw materials from responsible companies and hold their suppliers to a high standard of environmental performance and worker safety.
Environmental responsibility is linked to the social responsibility of producers to ensure worker safety in all the workplaces throughout the product’s life cycle. Producers can be required to ensure that they source their raw materials from responsible companies and hold their suppliers to a high standard of environmental performance and worker safety.
End of Life Vehicle Recovery
In Canada, approximately 1.2 million vehicles are taken off the road every year. Almost half are retired in Ontario. When these vehicles go to auto recyclers, up to 85% of the vehicle by weight can be recycled, 75% of it being the scrap metal. Auto recyclers “depollute” vehicles by removing mercury switches, oils, CFCs, and other fluids before crushing them. If each car generates 500 pounds of auto waste, then approximately 300 million pounds or 136,000 tons of waste goes to Ontario landfills each year.
However, not all vehicles go to auto recyclers. About 2/3 of Ontario’s cars go to salvage yards or scrap metal dealers. These operations recover scrap metal, but do not necessarily recover parts or de-pollute vehicles. This increases the volume of waste going to landfills and means waste can be seriously contaminated. Although scrap metal is usually recovered, there is relatively poor recycling of other materials. Toxic chemicals, even those which are banned in the EU, may still be present in North American vehicles, unless manufacturers remove them voluntarily. About 25% of vehicle material is shredded and sent to Landfill to be buried. This material leaches into the water table and produces off-gases that rise into the atmosphere.
The goals of ELVR place most of the responsibility for vehicle disposal on their producers. They restrict or eliminate the use of many materials, require producers to provide dismantling instructions, and sets targets for re-use, recovery, and recycling. Producers will also need to meet all or a significant portion of the costs of these measures and must meet reporting and information requirements.
Most countries with vehicle or parts manufacturing sectors have legislation for ELVR, except for the US and Canada. The European Union has had the End of Life Vehicles Directive in place since 2000. These laws set recycling targets and track vehicles through deregistration. Depollution is mandatory, and many countries list parts and materials which must be recovered. Japan uses recycling fees to encourage manufacturers to design vehicles that are more easily recycled, and incentives to encourage the public to purchase them. This legislation has increased the recovery of vehicles and their materials resulting in both environmental and health-related improvements.
In Canada all provinces have regulations for recovering CFCs, batteries, and scrap tires. Some also have regulations for recycling used oil and oil filters. Where programs or regulations exist, there is a high recovery rate of materials. However, except for British Columbia, there are no federal or provincial laws for managing vehicles at the end of their life. Ontario needs a regulatory framework for managing end-of-life vehicles that would reduce waste and create employment. In 2009 the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment approved an Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibilities that included auto products such as used oil, but do not include the whole vehicle.
Unifor and our community partners will be seeking legislation that requires all vehicles sold in Canada to be completely disassembled and recycled in Canada. This legislation should include vehicles derived from domestic and offshore manufacturers. Manufacturers need to design vehicles to facilitate recovery and recycling. Regulating vehicle recovery is a “win-win” situation for workers, auto recyclers, and our environment.
However, not all vehicles go to auto recyclers. About 2/3 of Ontario’s cars go to salvage yards or scrap metal dealers. These operations recover scrap metal, but do not necessarily recover parts or de-pollute vehicles. This increases the volume of waste going to landfills and means waste can be seriously contaminated. Although scrap metal is usually recovered, there is relatively poor recycling of other materials. Toxic chemicals, even those which are banned in the EU, may still be present in North American vehicles, unless manufacturers remove them voluntarily. About 25% of vehicle material is shredded and sent to Landfill to be buried. This material leaches into the water table and produces off-gases that rise into the atmosphere.
The goals of ELVR place most of the responsibility for vehicle disposal on their producers. They restrict or eliminate the use of many materials, require producers to provide dismantling instructions, and sets targets for re-use, recovery, and recycling. Producers will also need to meet all or a significant portion of the costs of these measures and must meet reporting and information requirements.
Most countries with vehicle or parts manufacturing sectors have legislation for ELVR, except for the US and Canada. The European Union has had the End of Life Vehicles Directive in place since 2000. These laws set recycling targets and track vehicles through deregistration. Depollution is mandatory, and many countries list parts and materials which must be recovered. Japan uses recycling fees to encourage manufacturers to design vehicles that are more easily recycled, and incentives to encourage the public to purchase them. This legislation has increased the recovery of vehicles and their materials resulting in both environmental and health-related improvements.
In Canada all provinces have regulations for recovering CFCs, batteries, and scrap tires. Some also have regulations for recycling used oil and oil filters. Where programs or regulations exist, there is a high recovery rate of materials. However, except for British Columbia, there are no federal or provincial laws for managing vehicles at the end of their life. Ontario needs a regulatory framework for managing end-of-life vehicles that would reduce waste and create employment. In 2009 the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment approved an Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibilities that included auto products such as used oil, but do not include the whole vehicle.
Unifor and our community partners will be seeking legislation that requires all vehicles sold in Canada to be completely disassembled and recycled in Canada. This legislation should include vehicles derived from domestic and offshore manufacturers. Manufacturers need to design vehicles to facilitate recovery and recycling. Regulating vehicle recovery is a “win-win” situation for workers, auto recyclers, and our environment.