A Case Discussion on Market-Based Extended Producer Responsibility: The Minnesota Electronics Recycling Act

Alev, Işıl; Huang, Ximin; Atasu, Atalay; Toktay, L. Beril

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2696151

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…One stream focuses on different EPR implementation approaches and different stakeholder perspectives (e.g., Alev et al. 2019, Atasu et al. 2013, Gui et al.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Implications of Recycling Technology Choice on Extended Producer Responsibility

Rahmani

Gui

Atasu

2021

Production and Operations Management

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We study recycling technology choice, a critical factor that has received little attention in the context of extended producer responsibility, and its interaction with product design‐for‐recycling in driving the environmental benefits of recycling systems. Collective recycling systems have long been criticized for restricting the environmental benefits of extended producer responsibility because of free riding issues among producers, which can undermine incentives for product design‐for‐recycling. We revisit and refine this assertion by analyzing the interaction between recycling technology and product design‐for‐recycling choices. We develop game‐theoretic models where producers and processors decide on product design‐for‐recycling and recycling technology choices, respectively. We then compare the equilibrium benefits of recycling in collective and individual systems. The key result in this study is that when recycling technology choice is taken into account, collective recycling systems can lead to higher environmental and economic benefits than individual recycling systems. This is because collective recycling systems provide stronger incentives for recycling technology improvements. In turn, these improvements can help overcome the drawbacks associated with inferior product design‐for‐recycling outcomes caused by free riding concerns among producers in collective recycling systems. In light of these results, we posit that an exclusive focus on product design‐for‐recycling to assess the environmental benefits of extended producer responsibility‐based recycling systems may need scrutiny. Producers and policy makers may need to evaluate recycling systems with respect to the incentives they provide for both product design‐for‐recycling and recycling technology improvements.

show abstract

“…One stream focuses on different EPR implementation approaches and different stakeholder perspectives (e.g., Alev et al. 2019, Atasu et al. 2013, Gui et al.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Implications of Recycling Technology Choice on Extended Producer Responsibility

Rahmani

Gui

Atasu

2021

Production and Operations Management

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several authors look closely at the application of the circular economy to electrical and electronic equipment. Alev and colleagues () examine a form of CE policy toward e‐waste. They provide a detailed case study on a market‐based implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) in Minnesota.…”

Section: Digging Deeper Into the Circular Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking the circular economy and the Journal of Industrial Ecology to the next level

Lifset

2019

J of Industrial Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

as editorial partners in the publication of the JIE." DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE CIRCULAR ECONOMYIn the introduction to the 2017 special issue on the circular economy (Bocken et al., 2017), the editors urged that researchers, advocates and practitioners take the circular economy (CE) to the next level-moving beyond enthusiasm and promotion to also grapple with the complications and challenges of this emerging framework. 1 This special feature presents recent research that does just that.The special feature includes analysis that provides a systematic understanding of what has already been done, but often overlooked. This includes a comprehensive review of 280 circular economy-related policies by Zhu and colleagues (2018) showing that China has a both a long history and continuous development in this domain. Korea also has a significant and sometimes overlooked history of systematic CE development-of industrial symbiosis-as Park and colleagues (2018) show in their examination of 15 years of Korean eco-industrial park development. Bruel and colleagues (2018) examine the intersection of long-established bodies of research-industrial ecology and ecological economics-as a foundationfor the circular economy and find that a reconciliation of these two fields could increase both the theoretical and practical framework of CE.Several authors look closely at the application of the circular economy to electrical and electronic equipment. Alev and colleagues (2018) examine a form of CE policy toward e-waste. They provide a detailed case study on a market-based implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) in Minnesota. Their analysis details the benefits and trade-offs generated by the operating rules for the EPR scheme. Focusing on photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, Lapko and colleagues (2018) ask why recycling rates of critical raw materials are very low and engagement of companies in closed loop supply chains for such materials is limited. Gallagher and colleagues (2017) also grapple with the concern that renewable energy technologies require large amounts of material resources. They apply life cycle assessment to circular economy strategies targeting hotspots in the systems' life cycle to reveal where potential impacts lie across a variety of environmental indicators. Van der Voet and colleagues (2018) also address the long-term availability of metals through a life-cycle-based scenario analysis. Environmental impacts related to metal production, according to their projections, will increase steeply over the period 2010 to 2050. While recycling will reduce emissions, their analysis indicates it will become effective only in mitigating impacts in the latter half of the twenty-first century. They conclude that "The circular economy 1 See the issue at http://bit.ly/JIE-Circ.

show abstract

Innovate or Merge? The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Relationship Between R&D and Mergers and Acquisitions

Peng

Song

et al. 2018

SSRN Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A Case Discussion on Market-Based Extended Producer Responsibility: The Minnesota Electronics Recycling Act

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

The Implications of Recycling Technology Choice on Extended Producer Responsibility

The Implications of Recycling Technology Choice on Extended Producer Responsibility

Taking the circular economy and the Journal of Industrial Ecology to the next level

Innovate or Merge? The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Relationship Between R&D and Mergers and Acquisitions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About