This chapter describes the theoretical underpinnings of the chapters to come, and provides a framework for the particular issues discussed in each of them. It introduces problems arising from the use of laws to prevent product-related environmental damage. The mass production and consumption of goods are increasingly being linked to pollution-related problems, nationally and globally, not the least of which is the negative impact on the environment from their use and/or disposal as waste. The chapter takes a wider view of this dynamic, complex and increasingly diverse topic within both national and international environmental law, and discusses the development of product-oriented law in Europe. It also highlights the difficult considerations in striking a balance between economic and environmental interests. It describes how legal ‘responsibility’ in this field includes numerous obligations on producers and other actors, such as the duty to assess and recognize the environmental effects of their products, and their economic and practical responsibility to ensure the adequate end-of-life treatment of the product as waste. In the final section, the chapter introduces each of the different contributions to the book.