A report published by the Scottish Government has been examining the responsibility of companies to help ensure their products are properly managed at the end of their life-cycles.

According to the study, producers of items such as plastic bags, electronic equipment, batteries, packaging and vehicles could play a more effective role in the responsible management of these items at the end of their life-cycle.

The report, which is in accordance with Action 12 of the Zero Waste Plan (June 2010), highlights how effective producer responsibility regimes can also drive waste prevention and reduction and boost the recycling market in Scotland.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead commented: "Local authorities have the main responsibility for dealing with household waste, but manufacturers and retailers also have a responsibility to play their part in preventing waste and encouraging recycling. This report will help us decide how best to ensure responsibilities are shared fairly."

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The report also looked at Scotland-specific targets for packaging recovery calculated to drive local recycling, deposit return schemes for drinks packaging, Scottish control of End of Life Vehicle (ELV) scrappage and market development activities for materials and parts recovered from ELVs.

The report recommends changing the current 'take-back' mechanism for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at retail shops to enable consumers to hand in old products at any shop currently selling equipment in the same category, without having to purchase a new product.

"As Scotland's Zero Waste Plan is driven forward", continued Lochhead. "There is scope to consider how existing producer responsibility regimes may more effectively influence and improve the management of waste and resources.

"The Scottish Government wants to make recycling packaging and waste electrical equipment as easy as possible for the consumer.

"In some European countries where producer responsibility is applied across a range of products and packaging, around 15 per cent of the cost of managing household waste is funded through support from the producer responsibility schemes.

"Making producer responsibility work in Scotland is part of the ambition to see waste treated as a valuable resource that can create country-wide benefits such as jobs and environmentally-friendly power generation.

"A zero waste society shares the responsibility of effectively managing waste. Effective producer responsibility is another step on the journey to a cleaner, greener Scotland."

(JG/CD)