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Description
Internship opportunity with the New York Product Stewardship Council & The Product Stewardship Institute. Hosted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Fall 2011 Albany, NY.
Product stewardship ensures that all those involved in the lifecycle of a product share responsibility for reducing its health and environmental impacts. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a central tenet of product stewardship, is a policy approach in which the producer's financial responsibility for their product extends to the post-consumer management of that product and its packaging. New York passed two EPR laws in 2010-one for rechargeable batteries and the other for electronic waste-and EPR is rapidly gaining momentum in New York as 12 EPR bills were introduced in 2011 addressing a range of materials such as unused pharmaceuticals, fluorescent light bulbs, mercury thermostats, and carpet.
About New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC):
The mission of the NYS DEC is: "To conserve, improve and protect New York's natural resources and environment and to prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution, in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well-being." DEC's goal is to achieve this mission through the simultaneous pursuit of environmental quality, public health, economic prosperity and social well-being, including environmental justice and the empowerment of individuals to participate in environmental decisions that affect their lives.
About New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC):
NYPSC is dedicated to shifting New York's product waste management system from one focused on government funded and ratepayer financed waste diversion to one that relies on EPR in order to reduce public costs and drive improvements in product design that promote environmental sustainability. NYPSC is constituted primarily of representatives of local government agencies, together with representatives of other stakeholder groups that support the product stewardship approach, including state solid waste officials, businesses, recyclers and the environmental community. The ultimate objective of the NYPSC is the adoption of the product stewardship approach to manage the state's solid waste.
About Product Stewardship Institute (PSI):
PSI is a national non-profit environmental institute located in Boston, Massachusetts, with membership from 47 state governments, over 200 local governments, and more than 70 corporate, organizational, academic, and non-U.S. government partners. PSI pursues initiatives to ensure that all those involved in the lifecycle of a product share responsibility for reducing its health and environmental impacts, with producers bearing primary financial responsibility.
Position Overview:
The New York Product Stewardship Council (NYPSC) and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), seek an intern to support product stewardship and extended producer responsibility initiatives in the State of New York. The internship position will be hosted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and will work with all three organizations to advance product stewardship in New York.
Responsibilities:
Potential tasks might include:
- Make updates to NYPSC website such as tracking legislation and general website maintenance.
- Work closely with PSI, the NYPSC, and other stakeholders to revise and circulate support memos for proposed legislation.
- Conduct research to support stewardship initiatives in New York as part of an ongoing effort to change the current paradigm of materials management.
- Develop and assist in writing and editing technical documents, and collecting data.
- Participate in regular conference calls with PSI and NYPSC.
- Conduct research to assist in the implementation of existing stewardship laws in New York.
Qualifications:
Interns should be passionate about moving toward a more sustainable future. Ideal candidates will have an undergraduate or graduate degree in policy, political science, natural science, environmental science, law, business administration, or a related field. Alternatively, interns may be a degree candidate in one of these areas. The intern's thoughts and ideas will be considered seriously as a contribution to forwarding product stewardship initiatives.
Desired skills:
- Strong computer skills: demonstrated experience in MS Office, Word, and Excel.
- Advanced computer skills-including ability to update website using Content Management System-desirable but not required
- Excellent organization and communication skills, both written and oral
- Academic or professional experience or knowledge related to environmental advocacy and/or a sufficient background in environmental and public health issues.
Compensation: Unpaid. PSI and the NYS DEC are able to provide supporting information for a student who can work with their institution to receive academic credit for this internship.
Location: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233.
Time Commitment: Approximately 15 - 20 hours/week for a minimum of 12 weeks
To Apply:
To apply for this position, please send a resume, cover letter, and 2 writing samples.
Please address all of the following within your cover letter:
- Are you able to meet the minimum time requirement?
- Why are you interested in working with the NYPSC, PSI and NYS DEC?
- What in your academic or professional experience makes you uniquely qualified for this position?
- What do you hope to gain from this experience?