PRO is an authorized organization that shares the extended producer responsibility for the channelization and management of the e-waste generated from the end life of their product. The agencies worked with several processing technologies for dismantling and recycling the waste. Hence, assisting the producers in meeting their EPR targets.
Product Responsibility Organizations were laid as a great initiative by the Central Pollution Control Board for the waste management process. Heeding the Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR) policy, PRO works on the collecting, transportation, and recycling of the wastes on behalf of the producers or the brand owners.
The functions of Producer Responsibility Organization
PRO has immensely supported the brand owners for environmentally sound management of the waste generated from their products. The organization contributes to tasks like:
- Integrated solutions for the collection mechanism such as door-to-door collection.
- Arrangements for logistics.
- Checking for the traceability of the collected e-waste and ensuring proper disposal of the processed waste.
- Establishment and operation of the collection centers or warehouses following up with the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
- Ensuring environmentally friendly waste management techniques.
- Implementation of buy back/take back practices.
- Meeting the collection targets.
- Conducting awareness programs, including social media campaigns, corporate events, etc., among the producers and the consumers.
- Assisting producers in signing up for quarterly or annual returns abided by the rules.
What services should be covered by the Producer Responsibility Organization?
PRO plays a crucial role in waste disposal management, easing the producers’ burden with the process. However, there are specific services that a good Producer Responsibility organization should serve the concerned authorities within the chain. These include:
- Compliance Management: A PRO should work with viable compliance management solutions. This is to acquaint clients with the liabilities concerning the protection of the laws while heading to the recycling of the e-waste.
- E-waste Recycling: More often than not, e-waste is disposed of several media bearing assets. Hence, the PRO must look for a systematic approach for the proper disposal of consumer waste. This is to reduce the loss of any confidential credentials.
- Reverse Logistics: Next, a professional organization for waste management must follow up with reverse logistics to recycle e-waste. This involves collecting, storing, and transporting waste using relevant technologies and methods.
- Recycling of plastic waste: One must offer an appropriate network chain to the brand owners, importers, and producers to collect their share in the generated plastic waste. Hereafter a PRO should look into recycling or transforming the plastics so as to obtain the raw material for the production of the new products.
- Environmental awareness programs: Product Responsibility Organizations should conduct awareness campaigns to acquaint people with effective waste management techniques that can help heal the planet from hazards.
Besides, a PRO must specify its waste handling capacity. Also, it must have arrangements for channelizing both plastic and e-waste for achieving the collection target of its producers.
The concept of PRO formulated more efficient and cost-effective end-to-end operations for plastic and e-waste management. However, the feat of these professional organizations can only stream with an active governing framework, featuring the role of different stakeholders.