Policy patterns and regimes: analysis of European waste policies Preliminary results from the ESTO waste project commissioned by IPTS GIN conference: A clear route to Sustainability? July 2-6, 2006 Ulrik Jørgensen, professor Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Management Technical University of Denmark

Background waste prevention policies and their impact on innovation inter-relations between innovation and waste creation waste policies are not standing alone, other areas of policy may have adverse effects implementation is often more important for impacts than the policy objectives as such difficulties in singling out a determined relationship between policy as input and impacts as output innovation is a broad and weakly defined field of activities

Waste prevention – the hierarchy OECD definitions also used by the EC Critical boundary between re-use and recycling: “Product re-use involves the multiple use of a product in its original form, for its original purpose or for an alternative, with or without reconditioning” Strict avoidance Reduction at source Product re-useRecyclingIncineration Landfilling Waste Prevention Waste disposal Waste Products/Materials Waste Minimisation

Policy analysis rationalized - DPSIR DPSIR = Drivers, Pressure, State, Impact, Response indicator model used by a.o. the European Environment Agency the P-S-I part form the outset and are typically covered by some technical indicators whereas the D-R part of the model is a rational projection onto policy and economy with limited empirical support difficult to produce relevant indicators improving and supporting policies

Policy patterns coordinated policies, not single measures have impacts coherent policies support the overall objectives, conflicting policies weakens results policy styles at national or sector level, choice of instruments, flexibility, timing, consensus model arguments dominate economic instruments but have weak empirical foundation sustained effort and long term objectives are important institutional contexts, structure of actors and their relations, competence of regulating bodies form the core

Policy instruments 1 Policies directed towards materials use and design: charges on virgin resource, energy use product or material bans announced policies for phasing out, objectives, and priorities Policies directed towards the resulting waste stream: charges for by-product or waste streams from production mandatory waste handling and management procedures conditions for environmental licence to operate (like IPPC) voluntary agreements with government recognition charges and taxes on waste streams

Policy instruments 2 Policies directed towards product quality: design prescriptions and eco-design (product-service-systems) producer responsibility legally defined and take-back support and grants for cleaner technologies, building knowledge, research creation of test and up-scaling facilities for complex technologies energy labeling and other forms of mandatory or voluntary schemes incentives for use of environmental management systems information support and information campaigns prescriptions for green (public) procurement and purchasing

Policy regimes the institutional network of knowledge production and policy implementation environmental objects and their translation the institutional setup defines the organization, the interaction, and the responsibilities for implementation professional knowledge involved in defining the objects of regulation and the ‘street level’ practices and routines institutional frameworks create stability and replication of policy measures (frozen styles)

Innovations and policy influence innovation refers to a variety of settings companies are often seen as most important environmental innovations include new perspectives on product-service systems and supply chains integration of new actors important waste has low priority and is often not visible in research and design innovation policies’ dominant focus is on competitiveness continued re-engineering and domestication is as important

Case selected for analysis - focus Product – Electronics: producer responsibility, and take back (RoHS, WEEE) – car take back policies Material – PVC: use and substitution and additives – including policy controversies and stakeholder activities Waste stream – Packaging materials: bottles, plastic bags, etc. – take back and recycling options Consumption – Textile products: including design policies and influencing product chains Sector – Building materials: including the problems of redefining waste streams fossil fuels and waste chemical production not included

PVC – an ongoing controversy dioxin and free chlorine staging the controversy search for substitution to reach to a ban of PVC or at least of certain uses, still no overall policy defined new environmental objects: heavy metals in stabilizers, phthalates as plasticizers, bromide in flame retardants incineration sets a separate problem, acidification strong lobbying activity from industry due to chlorine as by- product and PVC’s multifunctional use weak policies and lots of diverse innovations, substitution, decomposition, additives, re-use

Electronics – regulatory diversity electronics waste a new problem, no longer ‘garden industry’, growth, and pervasive character of integration 4% of household waste, but triple growth RoHS regulating the use of heavy metals and additives etc. WEEE defining a producer responsibility, though only for the handling of waste shipment rules, ban on export of waste (Basel convention) sustained policy, traditional regulation most efficient, producer responsibility not for design, but for covering costs

Textiles, packaging, and building materials textiles: focus on dyes, chemicals, pesticides, eco-design, labeling, but little on waste and consumption waste policies have only limited impacts on a major part of the products for consumption packaging: recycling was influential for especially bottles for a period of time, but weakening, PVC almost phased out, some reduction based on waste charges building materials: redefinition of waste has major impacts supported by waste charges, growing problems with plastics, composite materials etc. lack of focus on LCA in building constructions and eco-design in construction