Revisiting the extended producer responsibility program for metal packaging in South Korea

Assessing the recycling performance of extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs: A case study of the steel can packaging recycling system in South Korea

Research on the extended producer responsibility (EPR) program in South Korea has been expanding since the program was first implemented in 2003, but no study has yet assessed the performance of the steel can packaging EPR program. The current study thus evaluates the performance indicators for steel can packaging EPR and assesses those factors that may affect its performance over a 13 year period. The findings indicate that the recycling performance of this EPR program must be re-evaluated because metal can steel plate manufacturers are not subject to EPR although they are also recycling steel can waste. The findings also suggest that the Ministry of Environment (MOE) formula for calculating the mandatory steel can recycling target rate fails to account for fluctuations in the market price of steel can waste, demonstrating the need to increase the contribution fee of producers obligated to recycle (POR) under the EPR system.Implications: This study has examined the various factors that affect the performance of the steel can packaging EPR program in Korea. This study shows that, future research and practice need to re-assess the performance indicators of the EPR program and revise the standards for the contribution fee of producers obligated to recycle (POR) depending on the market price of steel can waste.

Evaluation of a new extended producer responsibility mode for WEEE based on a supply chain scheme

China is promoting extended producer responsibility (EPR) for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). However, the present EPR policy in China, in fund mode, has been facing the challenge of fund deficit severely since 2016. A new sustainable EPR mode is needed to solve this problem. In this paper, a mandatory recycling EPR mode is designed and studied as a potential solution. A quantitative evaluation system is innovatively established to evaluate the effectiveness of the mode and to compare the new mode to the present mode. The evaluation system first summarizes a supply chain scheme of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in each mode, which describes the life cycle of China's EEE from products to wastes to renewed resources. The supply chain schemes are complex since they contain five to six different stakeholders. Then classical game theory models are applied to the supply chain scheme based on the interaction among different stakeholders to calculate the indicators used for evaluation. At last, the two modes are compared in terms of economic, environmental and social effects in the case of the air-conditioner market. Results show the mandatory recycling mode is similar to the fund mode in economic and social effects. It is more financially sustainable, capable of enabling a higher recycling rate and more beneficial to certified recycling companies. Therefore, applying the recycling obligation mode in the future to maintain the EPR system is recommended.

Environmental impact assessment of the implementation of a Deposit-Refund System for packaging waste in Spain: A solution or an additional problem?

Food and beverage packaging represent a relevant fraction of municipal solid waste, and its adequate management is critical. Selective waste collection by an authorized organization according to an Extended Producer Responsibility System (EPRS) is the current option implemented in Spain for packaging. Other European countries have selected an alternative or a complement: a Deposit-Refund System (DRS) for certain type of beverage packaging. The selection of an EPRS or a DRS is a complex task and this work developed a universal methodology for the evaluation of optimal waste packaging management systems, focused on food and beverage. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was applied to compare the current EPRS vs the implementation of a new system, with the coexistence of a DRS and a reduced EPRS. Although the environmental savings of the new system are superior to its impacts, even if the DRS would reach a value of 90% for the package return index, the current EPRS obtains significantly better environmental results. All impact categories are favorable to the current EPRS, except ADP, where the potentially higher DRS recycling rate is manifested. The impact associated to the flow of specific DRS packages in the new system is clearly higher than that linked to the flow of DRS excluded packages and it is even higher that the impact of the total joint flow in the current EPRS for all categories except ADP. The fundamental cause of this high impact is the backhauling stage to transport the recovered packages to the counting plants without compacting. A sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the preference of the current EPRS over the combination of a DRS and a reduced EPRS. The developed approach supposes a methodological advance that can be extended to previously realized studies about the implementation of waste management systems in other contexts.