"Stop the Plastic Crisis"... Ministry of Environment Signs MOU to Expand Use of Domestic PET Recycled Materials

COVID-19 Deepens Domestic PET Recycled Material Backlog
Monthly 2000t Usage Target...EPR Fee Improvement Talks
Ministry of Environment "Hope for Recycling Industry Structural Reform Opportunity"

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Environment has decided to join hands with the private sector to increase the use of domestic PET recycled raw materials in order to resolve the accumulation of waste plastics caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 21st, the Ministry of Environment signed a business agreement with the Korea Plastic Packaging Container Association, the Korea PET Bottle Recycling Association, and the Korea Packaging Recycling Business Mutual Aid Association to expand the use of domestic PET recycled raw materials.

The parties to the agreement agreed to jointly address the stagnation of the domestic recycling industry and the worsening accumulation of PET recycled raw materials caused by the recent domestic and international economic downturn and oil price decline due to COVID-19.

The business agreement was promoted as part of measures to fundamentally resolve the accumulation of waste plastics, following the public stockpiling of 10,000 tons of PET recycled raw materials that began on the 7th.

The Korea Plastic Packaging Container Association and the Korea PET Bottle Recycling Association agreed to expand the use of domestic recycled raw materials in plastic packaging containers.

The association decided to expand the use of domestic PET recycled raw materials instead of imported PET plastic recycled raw materials and new raw materials. They aim to use 2,000 tons per month, and specific usage plans including unit prices will be discussed within this month. This association consists of 81 companies producing plastic packaging containers.

The Korea PET Bottle Recycling Association will strive to expand the use of domestic recycled raw materials by improving recycling facilities and sharing responsibilities related to the use of recycled raw materials. This association is composed of 24 PET bottle recycling companies supplying recycled raw materials.

Based on this agreement, the Ministry of Environment will work with the Korea Packaging Recycling Business Mutual Aid Association to prepare related system improvements and support measures to expand the use of PET recycled raw materials in packaging materials.

They also plan to discuss various promotion measures, such as reducing the contribution fees under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system when producers use recycled raw materials.

The EPR is a system that imposes an obligation on producers to collect and recycle products or packaging materials they manufacture, import, or sell. Producers must pay contribution fees proportional to their shipment volume, which are then supported to sorting and recycling companies.

Lee Young-gi, Director of the Resource Circulation Policy Division at the Ministry of Environment, said, "Through this agreement, we hope to establish a circular economy where waste generated domestically is reused domestically, and that the PET recycling industry, which has been contracted due to COVID-19, can turn this crisis into an opportunity through structural improvement."

He added, "Along with expanding domestic demand for recycled raw materials, we plan to fundamentally resolve waste accumulation by restricting imports of waste plastics such as PET. To promote recycling, we ask that contaminated food containers be washed and separated for disposal or placed in volume-based waste bags."

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