Welcome to Friends of the Earth Sydney's Extended Producer Responsibility Page

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has recently established an Extended Producer Responsibility campaign.

EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY CAMPAIGN

Friends of the Earth Sydney feels that it is time to expand existing discourse on waste management to the realms of resource consumption. As a starting point, we're going to develop a Community Based Education Program on EPR - Extended Producer Responsibility. EPR, in a nutshell, is about making producers responsible for the waste their products generate - for example through take back schemes or design for durability, reuse, repair, disassembly and/or recycling.

Our first steps are to research and develop educational resources and disseminate information on EPR. We are seeking your input and involvement. You are welcome to let us know:

• How you think the profile of EPR can be raised in the community - your community;
• Of any case studies of EPR, in particular small business EPR;
• Of consumers / community members who are, or who have lobbied for, or established EPR programs,
• If you would like to be kept updated on the campaign,
• If you would like to be involved in the campaign.

  e-mail FoE's EPR campaign or

 Call Miriam at FoE on Ph: (02) 9283 2004 or Fax: (02) 9283 2005. Leave a message, or ...

 Write to: Friends of the Earth, Attention: Miriam, PO Box A474, Sydney South NSW 1235

EPR and the FoE Waste Minimisation Campaign

The Friends of the Earth (FoE) project grows from a need to expand existing discourse on waste. The community is increasingly aware of recycling, composting, and 'buying green'. It is time to build on this. We want to introduce EPR as an emerging tool for 'waste minimisation'. EPR is an intangible concept, unexplored in the Australian context. However, it is reflected in the ongoing community groundswell for Container Deposit Legislation, and industry innovations in areas such as toner cartridge reuse. Furthermore, EPR is needed. Council based recycling programs are struggling - as local councils are responsible for problems which industry contributes to, and has a role in solving.

Is it the right time to raise the question: who is responsible for waste ? ? Our answers will shape sustainable waste minimisation and resource consumption strategies.

To Begin at the beginning ...

The campaign team have raised some fundamental questions which will shape the form of FoE's work in EPR. Our first questions focused on defining our 'target' audience. Who are they? We want to present the philosophy and practices of EPR to all consumers. We asked who ISN'T being targeted? and came up with the broad community.

We also want to motivate action from environmental advocates and pioneers within a range of community 'sectors': educators, industry, professional bodies, government, small business, and of course, consumers. 'Advocates' are people who are interested in waste and design. They are ready to take the plunge beyond recycling, ready to make choices as consumers. They might even be interested in cleaner production, and product labelling. Our questions quickly developed an outcome based dimension: What does the community need to know about EPR? What do we hope they will do? The table summarises the discussion which evolved around these questions.

The following list of objectives further outline the outcomes which FOE hopes to achieve.

• To encourage a rethink of the virtues of the throwaway culture
• To improve community understanding of what EPR is, and its potential applications
• To investigate current and potential community roles in implementing EPR programs and policies
• To develop and disseminate a 'community perspective' on what EPR is, and the form it may take

A sense of timing

Is it the right time? ... for what? Can we, as community members and consumers, make lifestyle and purchasing decisions consistent with EPR now? Do we want to push for the establishment of EPR schemes; and what form will they take? Studies have found that many in the community are keen to take steps to bring about better environmental outcomes. Many are ready to ask questions to product suppliers, industry and government.

Community Education Program - a tool for change

FoE believes that a community education campaign has great potential to:

• Enable the community to contribute more effectively to the shaping of EPR policies and programs
• Inform the community of the needs, constraints, and visions of Industry and Government
• Develop the community's skills in identifying problems and arriving at alternatives
• Overcome polarisation of debate (a potential quagmire, as EPR will embrace issues of responsibility for waste)
• Provide an opportunity to demonstrate 'best practice' case studies, from Australia and abroad
• Tap into the roles and needs of all of us as 'consumers'
• Explore the 'interface' between user and infrastructure (e.g. recovery of post consumer materials)
• Explore issues of marketing products with high EPR rating

A number of questions will determine the 'pitch' of FoE's EPR message; allowing effective educational tools and processes to evolve.

• What level of detail will the community be interested in? (How big, how small, how guided? )
• What does the community already know? how to tap into growing waste minimisation awareness and practices?

Partnerships

FoE is investigating partnerships with business, consumers associations, local government, and educators. In particular, the EcoDesign team at UTS & RMIT, who have considerable experience in this field.

If you would like to know more about the EPR campaign or would like to be involved:

 e-mail FoE's EPR campaign: suscon@foesyd.org.au

 EPR demystified with case studies

 FoE Sydney's waste minimisation pages

Friends of the Earth (Sydney)
PO Box A474, Sydney South, NSW 1235
ph: (02) 9283 2004, fax: (02) 9283 2005

e-mail: foesyd@foesyd.org.au

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