Polluter pays principle

The polluter pays principle (PPP) is an environmental policy principle which requires that the costs of pollution be borne by those who cause the damage to the natural environment. For example, manufacturers and importers of products should bear a significant degree of responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products throughout the product life cycle, including: -upstream impacts inherent in the selection of materials for the products -impacts from the manufacturers? production processes themselves; and -downstream impacts from the use and disposal of the products.