Extended Producer Responsibility (E.P.R.)

To:  Federal Government of Canada

To: To the Federal Government of Canada
WHAT IS EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR) ?

This is a concept where producers are responsible for their product at the "end of life", or when a product's usefulness has been exhausted. The producer or manufacturer would then accept financial and/or physical responsibility for the take back of the product after the consumer has finished using it with no cost to the consumer. The benefit to the environment is two fold.

1) Products such as automobiles will be designed with materials, which are easily recycled and less toxic in nature.

2) Waste to landfill at the end of the products life would be eliminated.

This would create a closed loop system, hopefully forcing the producer to design products that are easily recyclable by using environmentally friendly materials.

WHERE IS AUTOMOTIVE "EPR" BEING USED TODAY ?

Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark all have legislation in place to ensure that automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Ford and Mercedes take vehicles back from the consumer at the end of the vehicles life, regardless of whether the returning owner is the original purchaser or a second or third owner of the vehicle.

WHY IS EPR BEING LEGISLATED IN THESE COUNTRIES ?

The life cycle of an automobile involves environmental impacts, beginning with the extraction of raw materials from the earth. The impact continues through the manufacturing process involving the use of chemicals, plastics and toxins that finally end with disposal in junkyards and landfills.

Although most of the steel and other metals from vehicles are recycled, 2.5 million to 3 million tons of automotive "shredder residue" or what is known as "fluff", is landfilled or burned. This shredder residue contains harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chlorinated solvents, and asbestos.
These materials present an environmental problem as well as a health problem for surrounding communities.

The purpose of EPR is to lessen the impact of product development on the environment, reduce the amount of chemical discharge into the air and water and to eliminate disposal to regional landfills.
The Extended Producer Responsibility is an opportunity to secure jobs that already exist in our community. It is also a chance to help rather than hinder our environment.
We believe the Federal Government must put enforceable legislative requirements in place that will call for all auto manufacturers to "take back" any vehicle they have produced.

The environmental benefits of remanufacturing are a reduction in manufacturing energy, resource conservation, a reduction in the use of processing chemicals and a reduction in the use of casting sands and resins. Autoworkers could also benefit from EPR because it would require better worker skills, it could create or preserve jobs in assembly plants, and it can preserve in North America a competitive position with respect to European and Japanese manufacturers.


We the undersigned residents of Canada, draw attention of the
House to the following:

That; manufacturers of automobiles sold in Canada, bear a responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products throughout the products' life cycle
That; decisions about the manufacture of these products are made by the producer with little regard for the need of waste prevention and recycling,
That; the continued disposal of non metallic vehicle components, known as "Shredder Residue" or "Fluff" from automobiles through landfilling or incineration results in the depletion of our natural resources and the polluting of our environment,
That; waste prevention, reuse, and recycling of automobiles will conserve these resources while reducing the environmental impacts which accrue from extracting these resources from the environment;

Therefore, your petitioner's call upon Parliament is to enact legislation that requires all automobiles sold in Canada to be completely disassembled and recycled in Canada. This legislation to include automobiles derived from domestic or offshore manufactures.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Extended Producer Responsibility (E.P.R.) Petition to Federal Government of Canada was created by CAW Windsor Regional Environment Council and written by Ken Bondy.  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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