According to BASF, as many as half of the toll processors which have been reviewed have been rejected because their environmental practices were not up to standards. Emphasis on product stewardship is likely to increase significantly in the coming years, driven by the ISO standards and by increased pressure from trade associations. Notable among trade associations promoting the idea is the Chemical Manufacturers Association, which has made the adoption of product stewardship policies one of the key planks of its Responsible Care Program. But product stewardship is not limited to the chemical industry, as seen at Ford Motor Company's web site . At the Ford site, the concept of product stewardship extends all the way to the final consumer.
Product stewardship is a trend likely to have very far-reaching consequences.
Already, stewardship issues are helping companies like Xerox shift their role from suppliers of copiers to suppliers of copying services. By retaining ownership of the machines, Xerox is able to better accommodate an aggressive recycling and reuse policy, while providing their customers with a high level of service. As suppliers and customers increasingly become partners in environmental management, the long-term business consequences are likely to extend far beyond the environment. So whether you are seeking to benchmark the environmental performance of your own firm, or to do market research for consulting services, the Internet can be a useful tool for the environmental professional. Scott Butner is a researcher in the Environment and Society Group at the Battelle Seattle Research Center.