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The Ministry of Environment plans to adopt a pre-evaluation system for materials and structure of packing materials so that manufacturers of beverages and industrial products choose recyclable materials in the process of designing packing materials. If the system is introduced, manufacturers will evaluate recycling value of their packing materials in the design phase and receive benefits according to the result.
Among the entire household wastes, packing wastes accounted for about 34percent in 2009 and the proportion has been increased every year. As materials and structure of packing are selected according to customer interest and a company’s marketing strategy, packing materials of diverse colors and quality have been released, increasing recycling cost and deteriorating quality of recycled products. Thus, the ministry is to set up criteria of packing’s material and structure considering their recycling value and provide benefits for manufacturers which fulfill the criteria.
In 2012, on a trial basis, the system will be implemented for plastic bottle manufacturers which made a voluntary agreement on recycling with the government in 2009. And from 2013, the system will be expanded to the whole packing materials, subject to the Extended Product Responsibility, so as to improve their recycling value. In addition, the products which fulfill the criteria of materials and structure will be released through the website of the ministry (www.me.go.kr).
Adopting the pre-evaluation system, the ministry expects the quantity-oriented recycling policies can be developed into up-cycling policies.
