Consumers environmental stewardship

The least tangible of the economic factors that might be considered in evaluating pollution prevention projects are gronped into the third tier of costs. Consumer responses to improved product quality or improved corporate image, employee responses to improved environmental stewardship, and potential improvements in worker health and safety due to pollution prevention could all be considered. Such factors are even more difficult to quantitatively evalnate than tier 1 and tier 2 costs. 

As seen fix>m the process flowsheets there are many possible entry points for raw materials. This provides flexibility, as well as complexity, to the acquisition of raw materials. The list of input materials contains not only base metal concentrates but also semi-finished products such as unrefined lead bullion, and process by-products such as dust or sludge from other companies. Recycling of consumer products is also an important factor in feed material selection because Cominco has a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, as reflected by the quantity of lead battery products processed annually. 

The single most important question that serves to demarcate an individual s environmental views is whether that individual thinks of humans as primarily producers or primarily consumers. The question is one of priority. Virtually all individuals surely recognize that humans play both roles. The issue is whether we as humans create more than we use or use more than we create. Those who think we consume more than we produce are more likely to regard the Earth and its other inhabitants as victims of human consumption and to propose that we ratchet back our consumption in order to restore or achieve some sort of equilibrium. Those who think we produce more than we consume are more likely to regard the Earth and its other inhabitants as dynamically changing and to propose that we try to harness or direct those changes toward the betterment of the human condition. Jordan Bailor has coined the useful labels preservationist stewardship and productivity stewardship to describe these models of enviromnentalism (Bailor, 2004). 

On the relationship between institutional pressures and stewardship behaviors, Sharma (2000) states that top executives cognition on the external environment will affect the actions adopted and the environmental strategy selected by the organization. Zhu and Cote (2004) advocate that the driving forces for the aspects of green trade barriers on exports, investment in overseas downstream manufacturers, consumer pressure, environmental care, etc., also make top executives aware of the importance of environmental issues, and start thinking about the GSCM... 

Product stewardship means "responsibly managing the health, safety, and environmental aspects of raw materials, intermediate, and consumer products throughout their life cycle and across the value chain in order to prevent or minimize negative impacts and maximize value" [7], Chapter 2 of this book discusses the technical tools that a product steward uses to achieve this goal. These tools include the techniques to characterize and predict the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment upon their manufacture and use. The tools also include the methods used to calculate the possible risks to human health and the environment that may result. Chapter 2 also describes the formal process of life cycle assessment, which uses these tools to evaluate the potential effects on the environment as a result of the production, use, and disposal or recycling of a product. 

An important consideration with respect to the resource, environmental, and toxicological impacts of products is product stewardship, basically the control exercised in their use and ultimate fate. Product stewardship is relatively facile for products used within an enterprise or for those that are leased with responsibility for their fate retained by the owner rather than the user. Stewardship becomes more problematic for products sold to the consumer market. Refundable deposits such as those placed on beverage containers in some localities help ensure the recycling of products. Recycling is also increased by the ready availability of recycling centers or bins where spent itons or materials may be deposited. 

Product stewardship recognizes that product manufacturers must take on new responsibilities to reduce the environmental footprint of their products. However, real change cannot always be achieved by producers acting alone retailers, consumers, and the existing waste management infrastructure need to help to provide the most workable and cost-effective solutions. Solutions and roles will vary from one product system to another. 

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