May 28, 2007—Three local government product stewardship organizations from the US and Canada praised retailers and consumers for promoting the switch to energy efficient light bulbs, but said manufacturers must take the next step of creating and financing convenient, environmentally safe recycling systems for toxic mercury-containing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
The California Product Stewardship Council, the Northwest Product Stewardship Council and the British Columbia Product Stewardship Council issued a joint statement recently, coordinated by the Product Policy Institute. The statement calls for manufacturers to take financial responsibility for and provide collection programs for fluorescent lights, since the toxins they contain are banned from disposal in many states.
The product stewardship councils are coalitions of primarily local governments working together to promote minimizing a product’s environmental impact throughout the products’ life cycle. The Product Policy Institute is a North American non-profit organization that researches and promotes policies that reduce public costs and promote environmental sustainability. For more information, see the Institute’s Web site.
