Product-oriented policies are increasingly being used by all levels of government to address concerns regarding material use and toxicity (as well as energy use and pro- duction impacts) throughout the life cycle of the products we use. Numerous states and provinces have laws that address electronics, paint, mercury-containing devices, beverages, and other products. If future laws and policy tools are to best balance the needs of all stakeholders, it is essential that all interested parties become literate in this area. This article1 grew out of several exploratory papers developed for the Product Stewardship Stakeholder Process convened by Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality.2 This discussion explores product stewardship as an environmental management strategy for "greening" product design and production, and thereby reducing product life-cycle impacts.3
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