New Implementation Plan for Improvement of Waste Recycling in Korea

Abstract

In Korea (Republic of), the paradigm of waste recyclingmanagement will be changed and activated in 2018. Until 2017, the recycling of waste is only permitted for 69 types of waste and the rest of wastes cannot permit to recycle under the Waste Management Act. In order to enhance recycling activities, it should be amended the Waste Management Act to recycle for all types of waste. A new implementation plan is introduced to shift the paradigm of recycling system from the recycling method by permission list, in which certain items among all wastes can be recycling, to the recycling method by restriction list, in which all wastes can be recycled if wastes do not have any hazardous characteristics. Until now, there are considered only three types of hazardous waste characteristics under the Waste Management Act. That was the reason why 69 types of waste can be recycled until now. In the new advanced plan, six types of hazardous characteristics were added in the Waste Management Act to expand recycling to all types of waste. Hence, nine types of hazardous characteristics were controlled under the amended Waste Management Act. Even though there are any hazardous characteristics in waste, all types of waste can be recycled under the amended Waste Management Act if the hazardous characteristics were removed or stabilized. Almost all wastes can be recycled in accordance with the recycling type (R-code), and the recycling standards for each R-code will be specified in the amended Waste Management Act.