[Billcat]

Well, if the company the manufactures the item has to pay the disposal cost upfront, then it would not be surprising to see the price of purchase go up - assuming that the company continues to manufacture the item. Those consumers who want the item will end up paying either way, or making a decision not to purchase.

If there is a high cost of disposing of the item, there are only two ways to pay for it. Make those who use the item pay, or tax everyone to pay for it. I prefer the first option. If I choose items that are easy to dispose of, I pay less; if not, I pay the cost rather than imposing it on everyone. Right now, I have the worst of both worlds, as I try to make the more responsible choice but end up sharing the costs for those consumers who won't.

If the manufacturers find that consumers won't pay the higher price, or if they are forbidden to pass the cost along via increased prices, then they will probably stop making the items with high disposal costs.