Implementation of Single-Use Cup Deposit System in 2022... Ministry of Environment "Annual Benefit of 44.5 Billion Won Expected"

Four Bills Including the Resource Recycling Act Passed at the National Assembly Plenary Session on the 20th
Subsidy Amount Determined Considering Cup Manufacturing Costs and Policy Needs
Special Public Waste Resource Act Processed...Expecting Rapid and Safe Waste Management

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] A deposit system for disposable cups will be implemented starting in 2022. A 'Public Waste Resource Management Facility' will be operated to handle illegal and abandoned waste, and March 3rd of every year is expected to be designated as 'National Park Day.'

The Ministry of Environment announced that four bills, including the amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling Resources (Resource Recycling Act), containing these provisions, passed the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 20th. After being sent to the government next week, these bills will be implemented within a period ranging from six months after promulgation to up to two years, following Cabinet approval and other procedures.

The amendment to the Resource Recycling Act, scheduled to take effect in 2022, mainly introduces a deposit system for disposable cups similar to the deposit system for empty containers. This measure considers the reality that the use of disposable cups has surged due to the rapid increase of coffee shops, but collection and recycling are almost nonexistent.

Once the system is implemented, sellers will include the deposit set by the government in the product price, and consumers will receive a full refund of the deposit when returning disposable cups. The deposit amount will be determined by the Ministry of Environment through ministerial ordinances, taking into account the manufacturing cost of cups and policy needs.

An official from the Ministry of Environment predicted, "With the introduction of the system, incineration costs will decrease, recycling rates will increase, and the amount of disposable cup incineration will be reduced, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 66%, generating benefits exceeding 44.5 billion KRW annually." They also plan to minimize consumer inconvenience by allowing cups to be returned regardless of the place of purchase through industry consultations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Special Act on Public Waste Resources, to be implemented one year later, mandates that the government or public institutions install and operate public waste resource management facilities to handle illegal and abandoned waste.

The Ministry of Environment expects that through public waste resource management facilities, waste that is difficult for the private sector to handle can be processed quickly and safely, and by returning operational profits of the facilities to local residents, it will establish a government innovation model where residents and businesses coexist.

The types of waste to be processed and facility installation standards will be determined through consultations with related industries during the process of enacting subordinate legislation.

The Waste Facility Promotion Act contains measures to stably install waste treatment facilities that are essential to the region but difficult to establish due to residents' opposition, and to increase residents' acceptance.

Unless there are special cases such as no need to install facilities, developers of residential sites or public housing will be obligated to install waste treatment facilities, and provisions have been made to allow facilities to be installed underground in areas adjacent to residential zones.

By institutionalizing the review of waste treatment facility installation from the project planning stage for developers, the plan aims to fundamentally prevent conflicts with local residents arising from the location of environmental facilities.

Lastly, the amendment to the Natural Parks Act aims to improve deficiencies found in the operation of the system, such as criteria for purchasing private land within park areas and the composition of park committees, and designates March 3rd of every year as 'National Park Day.'

The designation of National Park Day is expected to greatly contribute to raising public awareness of environmental conservation along with the status of the 22 domestic national parks, starting with Jirisan, the first national park designated in 1967, and continuing through the designation of Taebaeksan in 2016.

An official from the Ministry of Environment stated, "We will do our utmost to prepare subordinate legislation so that the four bills passed in the plenary session are implemented in a timely manner and the public can feel the legislative achievements," adding, "We plan to closely cooperate by fully listening to the opinions of related industries and stakeholders during the process of enacting and revising subordinate legislation."

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