This book is a welcome contribution to the discussion on Integrated Product Policy (IPP) and to its understanding. It is the first volume dealing with the topic, despite IPP being on the EU-level agenda for almost a decade ... the book offers a good balance of topics, but also of voices. The different chapters are written by academics, EU and national public officials, consultants and industry stakeholders, offering a variety of insights. Moreover, the references to the wider international context, by the inclusion of contributions on the Swiss experience and on the United States and Canada, help to frame European IPP processes in a sound manner ... It should be a compulsory reading not only for students of environmental policy and multi-level governance, but also for policy makers and stakeholders. Its main strengths lie in the clear setting of IPP within the governance approach, with all the benefits and possible problems this might entail, and in the compelling illustration of the great variety of tools and policy strategies that could be used for implementation purposes. Let us only hope that the political momentum will not be lost and that IPP will become a successful policy, not confined to being an interesting research topic only.
Irina Tanasescu, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in Journal of Cleaner Production 16 (2008)

Just as many more cars are shown at auto shows than ever reach the marketplace, so many more environmental concepts are introduced than are implemented. Implementation faces challenges such as pricing, infrastructure, regulations and long term commitment. A new book called Governance of Integrated Product Policy from Greenleaf Publishing provides an excellent overview of why transformation from idea to government policy for the marketplace is complicated and requires new governance models.

Traditional regulations control the process of specific sectors and try to reduce specific emissions at the end-of-pipe (or stack). However, increased consumption means that while individual factory emissions are controlled, total emissions increase beyond that which the ecosystem can absorb. Products use resources, emit pollution and form an increasing part of the waste stream. The book shows a graph of municipal waste in the US in 1906 and in 2001. In 1906, the total waste per person per year was 425 kg ash, 82 kg biodegradables and only 42 kg products. In 2001, the total waste per person per year was 11 kg ash, 173 kg. biodegradable and 546 kg product.

Integrated Product Policy seeks to improve the environmental performance of products and services from design, manufacture, transport, use and disposal. Because products are part of a long chain from raw material provider, industry, consumers and government over many geographical areas and over time, the governance model has to include not only 'the state' but other stakeholders and move from command and control to push-pull. Environmental problems have become more global and persistent: climate change, acid rain, loss of biodiversity, ozone depletion, soil erosion, threats to health, unsustainable use of resources and waste management issues.

Comprehensive product orientated environmental policy is seen as essential because so much of the environmental effect of products (80%) is determined at the product development stage, for example, electronics are made with toxic substances which persist in the environment when the product is disposed. For some products, environmental problems may not be identified for decades after the product is made e.g. commercial chillers with ozone depleting substances last 45-50 years. Services are included because the line between products and services is along a continuum e.g. lawn maintenance services use equipment such as mowers and leaf blowers, chemicals and vehicles.

This book is a great overview of the variety of product policy approaches such as the European Union IPP plan and the United Nations Environment Program's Sustainable Consumption and Production initiative and individual country programs. The Dutch government is credited with producing the first policy document called Policy Document on Products and the Environment in 1994. The Swiss are seen as doing the best job of integrating IPP into its sustainablity strategy which means that product policy is leading to changes in other policy areas as existing laws are changed.

The book is also invaluable for setting policy development within a larger framework and identifying policy mixes which haven't worked. Sustainable Development books can tend towards the messianic so GL appreciates this book for its reality check. Strong lobbies, opposition from industry and trade-off with political objectives interfere with developing a coherent policy. Sector specific interests tend to result in policies which fail to address the linkages between sectors such as transport, energy, construction and agriculture.

The book discusses as an example the end-of-life waste management polices in Canada. Extended Producer Responsibility EPR in all ten provinces minimizes government intervention in Canada while in the US, local governments provide collection, recycling and disposal as a public service. EPR is seen as a driver for product improvement. In 2004, 32 programmes were supported by regulation, 12 were voluntary producer programs and four were in development. All are at the provincial level and create a patchwork which needs to be addressed by a more national approach. Duncan Bury, Head of Product Policy at Environment Canada is quoted as saying, 'In Canada, we are past the point of discussing whether EPR is a good policy approach. There is enough of a track record of these operating programmes that there really isn't any question whether this is an appropriate kind of policy. We're now on the point of discussing how to make it more effective.'
Gallon Environmental Letter Vol. 11 No. 5 (21 April 2006)