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Product stewardship - FAQs

General product stewardship

What product stewardship schemes are operating in New Zealand?

How does product stewardship compare to extended producer responsibility (EPR)?

What are priority products?

Is product stewardship a barrier to trade?

Do other countries have product stewardship legislation and what types of products are included?

Who pays for product stewardship?

Is product stewardship only about taking back product?

Does the requirement to develop a product stewardship scheme apply to all products?

Do product stewardship requirements only apply to domestic producers?

Applying for product stewardship accreditation

What products are regulated by the Waste Minimisation Act?

Will the accreditation application process for product stewardship schemes be regulated?

Will existing voluntary schemes be accredited?

How will my application for product stewardship be assessed?

What product stewardship schemes are operating in New Zealand?

See Accredited product stewardship schemes in New Zealand for a full list of accredited schemes.

How does product stewardship compare with extended producer responsibility (EPR)?

Product stewardship encourages all key parties in a product lifecycle to share responsibility for reducing the impact of a product on the environment throughout its production, consumption and disposal. EPR generally has a narrower focus and centres on the responsibilities of the “producer” for a product once the consumer no longer wants it. EPR is a term used commonly overseas and is a subset of product stewardship.

What are priority products?

Priority products have legislation requiring that they have product stewardship schemes.  The schemes will be compulsory rather than voluntary.

The Minister for the Environment has not declared any priority products at present.

Before declaring a priority product the Minister for the Environment must be satisfied of the following:

  1. the product will or may cause significant environmental harm when it becomes waste, or
  2. there are significant benefits from reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, or treatment of the product; and
  3. the product can be effectively managed under a product stewardship scheme.

Any priority product declaration will be notified in the Gazette and if required, Ministerial Guidelines relating to the product stewardship schemes will be provided.

Before new regulations are passed relating to priority products and before any declaration is made, the Ministry for the Environment will consult with those who may be affected by the regulations. This would include manufacturers and brand owners who sell their product in New Zealand and any scheme managers who have an existing accredited product stewardship scheme for the same product.

Is product stewardship a barrier to trade?

Product stewardship is not a barrier to trade if it imposes the same obligations on domestic and imported goods. The trade agreements overseen by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) do not stop countries from putting requirements on imported product as long as those requirements the same as the requirements on the country’s own product. In fact, product stewardship legislation that conforms to WTO rules is already in place in many countries.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a guide about EPR which discusses this issue in more detail – “Extended Producer Responsibility: A Guidance Manual for Governments”, OECD, 2001. Please note that this link takes you to an on-line bookshop where you have the option to buy this guide.

Do other countries have product stewardship legislation and what types of products are included?

Yes, New Zealand is one of the last developed countries to have any form of product stewardship legislation.

Many countries have imposed regulations for specific products, such as packaging, paint, tyres or electrical waste.

  • British Columbia in Canada has waste management legislation and product stewardship regulations that have similar elements to New Zealand’s Waste Minimisation Act
  • Australia already has voluntary initiatives at state level and is currently developing product stewardship legislation for specific products.

Who pays for product stewardship?

The consumer pays for product stewardship in the price of the product they choose to buy. Product stewardship is consistent with the polluter-pays principle.

Is product stewardship only about taking back product?

No. The term “product stewardship” applies to a range of initiatives that can span a product’s entire lifecycle and put varying degrees of responsibility onto different parties. Take-back schemes are only one example of product stewardship. In some cases, taking a product back at the end of its lifespan may not be the most efficient or effective way to reduce environmental impact.

Does the requirement to develop a product stewardship scheme apply to all products?

No. Only those products that have been declared by the Minister for the Environment as priority products would have to have a product stewardship scheme developed and obtain accreditation.

Do product stewardship requirements apply only to domestic producers?

No. Regulatory support is being proposed to level the playing field to make the situation for all businesses fairer.

This equity is not just in relation to whether the item is produced in New Zealand or overseas, but also in relation to other factors, such as whether the item is sold by the manufacturer or parallel imported (when a product is imported by someone without the consent of the manufacturer), whether the producer sells directly to the consumer or only wholesale or whether the producer is a major player or a minor player. The flexibility offered by this policy means producers can meet their responsibilities in whatever way is most efficient for them.

What products are regulated by the Waste Minimisation Act?

No products or wastes are specified in the legislation. Instead, the legislation provides a framework for regulation of products, materials and waste (priority products) on a case-by-case basis if needed. There are no priority products at present.

Will the accreditation application process for product stewardship schemes be regulated?

Regulations for the application process for accreditation of product stewardship schemes including any fees payable, will be developed in the future as the Ministry gains more knowledge and experience on the accreditation process.

Regulations could be made to prescribe the:

  • manner in which applications for accreditation must be made
  • information that is to be included in the application
  • fees for submitting and assessing an application and charges for monitoring the scheme.

Before new regulations are passed the Ministry for the Environment will consult with those who may be affected by the regulations. This could include manufacturers and brand owners who have an existing voluntary product stewardship scheme or are likely to develop a product stewardship scheme in the future.

Note:  The applicant is responsible for the cost of preparing the application and for all ongoing costs of administering and operating the scheme.

Will existing voluntary schemes be accredited?

Not automatically.  The Government encourages existing voluntary schemes to apply for accreditation.
The Government’s continuing priority is to encourage effective, industry-led, voluntary schemes.

How will my application for product stewardship accreditation be assessed?

An independent assessor will audit the scheme against the specification for accreditation. “Product Stewardship Application Specification for Accreditation of a Non-Priority Product Stewardship Scheme”.

A step-by-step guide on the application process is provided in the guidance document “Product Stewardship Application Guidance for Accreditation of a Non-Priority Product Stewardship Scheme.

 

Last updated: 22 September 2009