This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends assembling and analysing the scientific evidence for pollution impact of waste in the environment in order to formulate and disseminate recommended scientific criteria and guidelines for the environmentally sound management of solid waste.
Argentina has prepared a regulation on universal wastes that would impose special regimes on batteries, fluorescent lamps, high-pressure neon lights, printer cartridges, and another bill seeks to ban the use of PVC for beverage containers (2002).
Brazil has existing national regulations on extended producer responsibility (EPR) regimes for batteries, tyres and pesticide packaging (2002) and is drafting them for packaging (including transport packaging), lamps, electronics and construction/demolition wastes. At the state and municipal levels, EPR and/or take-back mandates exist for aerosols, plastic packaging, non-returnable packaging, batteries, lamps and computer diskettes, with proposals pending for end-of-life vehicles, tyres, electronics and expired medicines.