Jeonnam Provincial Council Urges Government to Improve 'Rural Waste Vinyl Collection Compensation System'

Provincial Assembly Member Kim Moon-su: Uncollected 'Rural Waste Vinyl'... Threatening Even the Marine Ecosystem.

Kim Moon-su, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The Jeonnam Provincial Council has called for improvements to the rural waste vinyl collection reward system, which places an excessive burden on local governments for the proper management of rural waste vinyl.

On the 10th, the Jeonnam Provincial Council announced that it adopted the “Resolution to Urge Improvement of the Rural Waste Vinyl Collection Reward System for Rural Environment and Farmland Conservation,” which was proposed by Representative Kim Munsu, at the 1st plenary session of the 338th extraordinary meeting.

The resolution calls for a significant increase in the collection reward from 140 won per kilogram of rural waste vinyl to 300 won, and for the national subsidy rate to be expanded up to 50%, thereby improving the “Rural Waste Vinyl Collection Reward System.”

According to the 2018 survey on agricultural waste by the Korea Environment Corporation, the amount of rural waste vinyl generated was 318,775 tons, and the number of discarded pesticide containers was about 70 million. The collection volume of pesticide containers was 62.74 million, accounting for 89% of the generated amount, while the collection volume of rural waste vinyl was only 195,005 tons, which is 61% of the generated amount.

Considering the collection and recycling volumes by the Korea Environment Corporation and private sectors, about 70,000 tons of rural waste vinyl are left unattended or illegally incinerated annually, threatening not only soil pollution around farmland but also marine ecosystems along with microplastics.

The government has incorporated plans to prevent illegal incineration of agricultural waste and expand separate collection infrastructure into the “Comprehensive Plan for Fine Dust Management (2020?2024),” and has stipulated “proper management of agricultural waste” as a compliance requirement for receiving basic direct payments under the “Act on the Operation of Direct Payment System for the Promotion of Agricultural and Rural Public Functions,” effective from May 1. However, it has been continuously pointed out that improvements to the rural waste vinyl collection reward system must follow for these policies to be properly implemented.

The Jeonnam Provincial Council interprets that although the government has set a collection reward standard of up to 140 won per kilogram of rural waste vinyl through related guidelines, the national subsidy only supports 10 won per kilogram, which is 10% of the collection reward, making it difficult to properly handle rural waste vinyl due to poor local financial conditions, and thus has urged for system improvements.

Representative Kim Munsu said, “As rural population aging and decline progress rapidly, there is a shortage of manpower for collecting rural waste vinyl, and local governments’ financial conditions are not favorable, so I hope the government will actively work to improve the rural waste vinyl collection reward system.”

He added, “I also hope our farmers will make efforts together to properly dispose of rural waste vinyl and maintain a clean rural environment.”

Meanwhile, the Jeonnam Provincial Council plans to send the resolution to the National Assembly, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and other related government departments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.