Life Cycle Product Stewardship

Product Stewardship occurs when all those involved in the life cycle of a product take shared responsibility to reduce health and environmental impacts and gain the most value from a product.
Product Stewards continuously improve efforts at each stage of the life cycle to:

• use the LEAST material and energy
• use materials that can be MANAGED SAFELY by
• preventing losses and exposures
• reducing toxicity and safety hazards
• use processes that are EFFICIENT in materials transfer
• capture and REUSE and/or RECOVER material and energy
• preferably within the same product life cycle

Every loss of material or inefficient energy transfer represents a RISK:

• depletion of natural resources
• exposure to workers, users, the environment
• contribution to climate change and other ecosystem degradation

OPPORTUNITIES arise for each commercial player in the life cycle of a product to:

• save money
• by eliminating wasted materials and energy and the costs to manage waste purchases, storage, transportation, compliance, manpower and time
• increase loyalty and reputation
• employees, customers, shareholders and communities want to deal with product stewards who care about their health and environment
• supply chain partners who want to work with a product steward
• satisfy customers with new services and products
• by saving customer’s money by reducing their risks and costs
• by identifying new ways to satisfy needs with products that have good life cycle management
• make money

OPPORTUNITIES arise for customers, communities and the environment throughout the life cycle of a product because

• products are more SUSTAINABLE
• products better meet ALL STAKEHOLDER needs