Development of medical technology and diversification of the functions of medical institutions contribute to the quality of human health. However, on the other hand, the quantity of waste generated especially by using dsposable items is increasing continuously for which the conventional methods of recycling and treatment are not suitable. This results in increasing the cost of waste management and also risk related to spreading of infection. Hence, there is a need to seriously devise a mechanism to facilitate reduce, reuse and recycle the waste generated in health care establishment through product modification. It may also be necessary to define the producers' responsibility for the entire lifecycle of the product with due consideration to waste generation. In Japan, in the regulation promulgated for Sustainable Society, Extended Producer Responsibility is discussed for responsibilities to the manufacturers of the products: products modification, provision of information, formulation of resource recovery pathways for the product, and implementation of recovery, and taking back the waste. In this paper, various issues related to product modifications and producer responsibility shouldering environmental burdens would be discussed.
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