Applying Environmental Value Chain Analysis to Product Take-Back Systems

This paper concentrates on the application of Environmental Value Chain Analysis to product take-back systems. The analysis examines the information, money and product flows between players. The players of concern are the producers, government, consumers and recyclers. Within each of these groups, there are also internal value chains that influence other external interactions. Examples from existing take-back systems (mandatory and voluntary) such as take back of consumer electronics in the Netherlands, take back of information technology equipment and packaging in Germany and company initiated take back systems are included in this paper. These systems show a wide variety in the positive or negative value proposition, type of recycling quotes and type of fee systems. With help of Environmental Value Chain Analysis, valuable lessons can be learned how to improve take-back and end-of-life systems. These examples also demonstrate how future take-back systems, regulated or voluntary, can benefit from previous experience. Some benefits are in the fields of: • Improving lines of communication with parties involved (in particular, producers and consumers) • Examining where financial burden is really being placed (fees passed to consumer, municipal waste, or producers) • Structuring take back in such a way that ecodesign and design for end-of-life are fostered