What is meant by product stewardship?

Product stewardship refers to the collective responsibility of all parties involved in the lifecycle of a product—including designers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and recyclers—to minimize the environmental and social impacts of that product. This concept emphasizes that every individual or organization that influences the product's lifecycle shares a duty in ensuring its sustainability.

The importance of this approach is that it encourages collaboration and holistic thinking about the product's design, production, use, and end-of-life disposal. By engaging everyone in the process, product stewardship leads to more sustainable practices, promotes recycling and waste reduction, and fosters innovative solutions to environmental challenges. This means that rather than isolating responsibility to just one group (like manufacturers), it recognizes that effective stewardship requires the participation of all stakeholders in order to achieve a significant reduction in environmental impact.