Press Release
Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources
- Date:
- 2004-11-29
- View:
- 6,381
The amendment to the ‘Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources’ will enter into force starting from 2006. Drafted and proposed by the Ministry of Environment in May 2003 in an effort to expand and improve the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) System among others, the amendment draft has proceeded through consultations among related ministries, advanced notice of rule making, and review by the Ministry of Legislation. The amended Act has attained the final approval by the Cabinet Council on 16 November.
Since January 2003, the EPR system has applied to a total of 15 items - TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, laundry machines, personal computers, audio cassettes, cellular phones, tires, lubricating oil, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, and four plastic packaging materials including paper packs, metal cans, glass bottles, and synthetic resins. Upon the amendment, three additional electronic products including printers, copy machines, and fax machines will be added to the list of mandatory recycling items under the EPR system starting from 2006.
Currently, producers under the EPR system each receives mandatory recycling obligations per EPR item that were set by taking into consideration the quantity of product release of the year before last. Starting in 2005, the amendment adds greater efficiency to the system by considering business fluctuations of each year in estimating the recycling obligation. That is, upon the amendment, the mandatory recycling obligations will be determined in respect the quantity of product release in the year of which the obligations are to be fulfilled.
In order to stimulate the producers of easy-to-recycle goods, the standard cost of recycling on PET bottles will be categorized into three different levels. While a unified standard cost was applied to all PET bottles (178 Korean Won/kg for all PET bottles) before the amendment, the revised Act will introduce a new set of standard costs that corresponds to the degree of recycling compatibility. (178 KRW/kg for transparent PET bottles, 235 KRW/kg for colored PET bottles, 360 KRW/kg for PET bottles made up of mixed materials)
Since January 2003, the EPR system has applied to a total of 15 items - TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, laundry machines, personal computers, audio cassettes, cellular phones, tires, lubricating oil, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, and four plastic packaging materials including paper packs, metal cans, glass bottles, and synthetic resins. Upon the amendment, three additional electronic products including printers, copy machines, and fax machines will be added to the list of mandatory recycling items under the EPR system starting from 2006.
Currently, producers under the EPR system each receives mandatory recycling obligations per EPR item that were set by taking into consideration the quantity of product release of the year before last. Starting in 2005, the amendment adds greater efficiency to the system by considering business fluctuations of each year in estimating the recycling obligation. That is, upon the amendment, the mandatory recycling obligations will be determined in respect the quantity of product release in the year of which the obligations are to be fulfilled.
In order to stimulate the producers of easy-to-recycle goods, the standard cost of recycling on PET bottles will be categorized into three different levels. While a unified standard cost was applied to all PET bottles (178 Korean Won/kg for all PET bottles) before the amendment, the revised Act will introduce a new set of standard costs that corresponds to the degree of recycling compatibility. (178 KRW/kg for transparent PET bottles, 235 KRW/kg for colored PET bottles, 360 KRW/kg for PET bottles made up of mixed materials)
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