Waste Disposal Charge System

The Waste Disposal Charge System levis the charges needed for handling those wastes on manufacturers and importers of the goods/materials/containers which are difficult to recycle and are susceptible to harmful substances and issues in the process of waste management so as to curb the generation of further wastes and prevent wasted resources.

List of Items Liable for the Waste Disposal Charge

• Containers for insecticide (glass bottles, plastics), those for toxic chemicals (metal cans, glass bottles, plastics), anti-freezing solutions, gums, disposable diapers, cigarettes, goods and the packaging materials made in plastics

How the Waste Disposal Charges are Used

• The collected charges are deposited in the Special Account System for Environmental Improvement to be used to purchase and store the recyclable resources, for projects to recycle the wastes, install waste treatment facilities and related supports, for research activities and technological development for effective recycling of the wastes and its reduction, to subsidize the waste collection and recycling process of the self-governing bodies and the purposes under the Presidential decree.

Extended Producer Responsibility

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a system which levies a certain level of obligations of recycling on producers or importers of products liable for the EPR or those of products made in the packaging materials for the wastes from their products and packaging materials. Those who fail to comply with this obligation are levied with the penalty higher than what it costs in recycling.

List of Items Liable for Recycling

• 4 packaging material groups (cartons, metal cans, glass bottles, packaging materials in synthetic resins), 4 product groups (lubricants, batteries, tires, florescent lamps)

Determining Compulsory Recycling Rates by Items

• The Minister of the Environment promulgates the Compulsory Recycling Rates by Items in consideration of the amount of collected recyclable resources, achievements in recycled items, and conditions required of the recycling.

Determining Compulsory Recycling Rates by Companies

• The Compulsory Recycling Rates by Items is multiplied with the amount of yield and import by items of the respective producers liable for recycling to calculate the Compulsory Recycling Rates by Companies.

Compliance of Recycling Duties

• The respective producers liable for recycling sets up the compliance plan for recycling, obtain the approval from the Minister of the Environment, consign the plan to the recyclers in person, and accede to the Korea Waste Recycling Mutual Aid Association.

Electric and Electronic Equipment and Vehicle Eco-Assurance (EcoAS)

The Electric and Electronic Equipment and Vehicle Eco-Assurance (EcoAS) is a system which aims to minimize the burden on the environment via the systemized management on the entire process from the design and production to disposal of products so as to curb the creation of waste materials by the electrical/electronic products and automobiles and to promote recycling of such products.

Items Liable for EcoAS

Electrical/electronic appliances

Televisions, refrigerators, washing machines (for home use), air conditioners, personal computers (monitors and keyboards are included), audio system (portables are excluded), mobile telephone (batteries and chargers are included), printers, copying machines, facsimiles

Vehicles

Passenger cars, vans (up to 9 passengers), trucks (up to 3.5 deadweight tons)

Provisions on Precautionary Measures

• Compliance and its announcement on the standards for harmful substances containment/ Announcement on possible recycling rates by year and its compliance/ Compliance with the materials & structure improvement directives / Offering of recycling information

Provisions on Post-Factum Management

• Achieve the Compulsory Recycling Rate / Comply with the recycling methods and standards/ Regularize vendors with the collection duty/ Register the wasted vehicle recycling business / Draw up and submit the maintenance table

Separate Discharge Indication

As with the EPR system, the Separate Discharge Indication system is introduced to help the public to recognize the packaging materials liable for the EPR easily for separate discharge. The packaging materials liable for the EPR are required to be indicated with the separate discharge design and those not liable for this system may obtain the indication by obtaining the approval from the Minister of the Environment via the designated approval application process.

Items Liable for the Separate Discharge Indication

• Groceries, agricultural/fishery/livestock products, detergents, cosmetic goods, medical supplies and quasi drugs, butane gas products, insecticides/sterilizers, rubber gloves products, paper goods, cartons used as the packaging materials of the clothing products, glass bottles, metal cans, packaging materials and disposable plastic bags/shopping bags in synthetic resins, film/sheet-type packaging materials for electrical appliances and packaging materials in expanded synthetic resins

Items Required of Designation

• Products/packaging materials that use papers, metals, glasses, plastics besides those liable for recycling

Items Required of Designation

Design Example	character display
Separate Discharge	Plastic	PET/HDPE/LDPE/PP/PS/PVC/OTHER
	metal	iron/aluminum
	Paper	Paper/Box
	glass	glass

Beverage Container Redemption Value

To promote the collection and recycling of used glass bottles, the consumers pay the Beverage Container Redemption Value on the purchase of beverages in glass containers and can be reimbursed if the containers are returned to a recycling center.

Compulsory Recycling

• 80% of the containers that a producer liable for recycling used in the corresponding year will be required as the compulsory recycling.

Recycling Duty Performance Plan

• The producer is required to submit the Recycling Duty Performance Plan on the products liable for the Beverage Container Redemption Value by the end of January of the corresponding year.

Compliance of Recycling Duties

• Collection of the products liable for the Beverage Container Redemption Value (Reimbursement of the BCRV): The collected containers are re-used and those unable to be re-used due to damage in the process of production are recycled.