More specifically, these meetings addressed five major issues: (1) promotion of the 3Rs; (2) reduction of barriers to the international flow of 3Rs-related goods and materials; (3) cooperation between developed and developing countries; (4) cooperation among stakeholders; and (5) science and technological development for the 3Rs.

Through this process, a good deal of common understanding has been built up among G8 and non-G8 countries and international organizations as to the need for the prioritization of 3Rs-related policies in each country, capacity development in developing countries and concerted efforts at international/regional levels towards building an international sound material-cycle society, improvements in the infrastructure for information sharing and research, and the pursuit of co-benefits with actions to respond to climate change.

At the 2006 St. Petersburg Summit in particular, the G8 leaders agreed to “set targets as appropriate taking account of resource productivity” in furthering their efforts to optimize resource cycles within the 3R Initiative.

Over the three years since the 3R Initiative was launched, the G8 countries have found it to serve a number of important purposes and recognized its significance as follows:

* The 3R Initiative has provided countries with a platform for sharing information and exchanging opinions and experience on 3Rs-related policies. Some examples of such policies and activities are shown in Table 1 below. As a result, the Initiative has facilitated the realization of concrete cases of domestic activities and bilateral and multilateral collaboration. For example, in Asia, the 3R Initiative is functioning to generate momentum by setting timelines and suggesting an agenda to multilateral and bilateral collaboration towards 3R National Strategy Making and the creation and operations of the 3R Knowledge Hub. The 3R initiative can help to prioritize the 3Rs and waste management within each country’s policy.

* The 3R Initiative can demonstrate the G8 countries’ determination to establish a sustainable society through 3Rs-related activities, in light of the connections between 3Rs-related practices and other various pressing environmental issues including climate change as discussed at the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting in 2008.

* The 3R Initiative presents opportunities to discuss the challenges of the 3Rs and waste and material management in association with international, inter-regional and macro issues such as world economic growth and resource scarcity. The 3R Initiative helps to develop shared understanding of significant challenges to be overcome in attaining sustainability, such as international movement in reusable and recyclable resources, an issue which has both potentially positive and negative impacts on the environment as discussed in the First and Second Senior Officials Meeting on the 3R Initiative in 2006 and 2007.

* The 3R Initiative has started to function to facilitate environmentally sound practices by stakeholders, in particular the private sector’s initiatives towards efficient use of resources and minimization of environmental impacts, such as the improvement of environmental management technologies and design for the environment, and active utilization of by-products and recycled resources in international supply and production networks.

* In addition, the 3R Initiative has facilitated close collaboration between the member countries and the 3Rs activities of OECD, UNEP, UNCRD, the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and other international organizations and thereby strengthened these efforts.

* Furthermore, as the 3R Initiative progresses, it becomes more recognized for facilitating environmentally sound management of waste and promoting efficient resource use in developing countries. The 3R Initiative is expected to facilitate concerted efforts and role sharing among the G8 countries in the realm of international cooperation aimed at effective capacity building and assistance for non-G8/non-OECD countries towards environmentally sound international resource circulation, taking into account existing international agreements, such as the Basel Convention.

Along with the advancement of the 3R Initiative, each G8 country has shown leadership by initiating a number of 3Rs-related activities, both domestically and at the international level. Examples of such efforts are given in Table 1 below.