Page 56 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

External Drivers: The Voice of Society 35

that low levels of toxic chemicals may bioaccumulate in the food
chain and be harmful to humans. All substances (medicinal prod-
ucts are exempted) had to be pre-registered by December 1, 2008, to
take advantage of the staggered implementation program. The regula-
tion will expand significantly the number of substances that require
authorization for use and has raised controversy because of the cost
burdens imposed on industry, as well as the increased requirements
for animal testing.
Japanese and Chinese Initiatives. Similar to the European Union,
the government of Japan has adopted a comprehensive regulatory
approach toward reducing material throughput [6]. Although Japan
is already far ahead of the United States and European Union in
resource efficiency, it established a goal of 50% reduction in final
waste disposal by 2010. The Japanese legislative framework, adopted
in 2000, includes laws governing waste management, resource re -
cycling and green purchasing, with specific regulations targeting
packaging, home appliances, construction materials, food recy-
cling, and end-of-life vehicle recycling. The Chinese government has
introduced similar legislation under a new policy framework designed
to promote a “circular economy” and is pursuing a variety of new
“green” initiatives [7].
United States Initiatives
Although the United States has seen substantial improvements in air
and water quality, the traditional “command and control” approach of
U.S. regulatory agencies is widely regarded as burdensome and inef-
fective. On the other hand, programs based on voluntary initiatives
and market influence have proven extremely successful. The follow-
ing are examples of programs relevant to DFE.
Toxic Release Inventory (1986). One motivation for the rise in
U.S. voluntary programs may have been the surprising response
of industry to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting
requirements. This program was originally established by the Emer-
gency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act under Title III
of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of
1986. By merely requiring companies to report their hazardous
material releases to the public, EPA gave industrial firms an incen-

tive to re duce them. Before long, companies had established TRI
reduction as a standard corporate objective, and overall releases
decreased by roughly 40% from the baseline year of 1988 through
1992. In 2006, EPA reported that the original releases had de creased
by 59% since 1988. Since 1995, EPA has widened the scope of
the TRI program, including doubling the number of substances
tracked to 650 and extending the requirements to nonmanufac-
turing sectors and Federal facilities. The “right-to-know” concept
clearly demonstrated the power of disclosing environmental perfor-
mance information.