Jung Gi: "Large Corporations Should Also Bear the Plastic Waste Charge"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector sought ways to improve the system focused on rationalizing the imposition targets of waste disposal fees between SMEs and large corporations.

The Korea Federation of SMEs and the Future Knowledge Society Research Association held a ‘Research Results Presentation on the Circular Economy of Plastics and Rationalization of Waste Disposal Fee Imposition Targets’ on the 23rd at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, discussing improvement measures.

At the presentation, Professor Min-Kyo Koo of the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University stated, "SMEs manufacturing plastic products bear the waste disposal fees, while large corporations manufacturing synthetic resins are excluded from the imposition targets. Since 99% of plastic manufacturing companies are SMEs and over 70% engage in supply transactions, it is a method that can significantly reduce administrative costs for a small number of raw material large corporations, who hold price-setting positions, to bear the fees."

The research director, Taejin Kang of the Future Knowledge Society Research Association, said, "To solve the plastic problem emerging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘environmental fuelization of waste plastics’ is the best alternative."

Research Director Kang emphasized, "The European cement industry actively uses alternative fuels made from waste tires and waste synthetic resins. In particular, Germany’s fuel substitution rate is 68%, nearly three times higher than Korea’s 23%. Korea also needs to actively invest in alternative fuel production and promote the environmental fuelization of waste plastics."

Seungwon Seo, Executive Vice President of the Korea Federation of SMEs, said, "Improving the plastic waste disposal fee system is essential to solve the waste plastic problem and simultaneously promote the growth of the small plastic manufacturing industry. Since the basic law on fee management limits the duration of fees to no more than 10 years, it is time for a review. Instead of limiting the polluters to SMEs manufacturing or importing plastic products, a win-win effort is needed where large corporations as raw material suppliers bear the fees first and reflect them in product prices according to the principle of shared responsibility."

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