Achievements and policy trends of extended producer responsibility for plastic packaging waste in Europe

The vastly increasing generation of plastic packaging waste has outgrown the infrastructure capacity to manage this waste effectively,resulting in critical aquatic and terrestrial pollution.In 1994,the European Commission implemented the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC,responding to growing concerns regarding the environmental impact of packaging and safe waste management.This study analyses how Germany,Spain,France,Italy,and Poland—the five most populous countries in the EU(European Union)—manage their plastic packaging waste,and evaluates their established Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR)schemes,which are mandatory for all EU Member States by the end of 2024.This research shows that EPR schemes improve the financial and operational viability of plastic waste management in the scope countries,resulting in higher collection and recycling rates.Take-back requirements can incentivise producers to put less plastic packaging on the market,and advanced disposal fees can encourage eco-design.The Producer Responsibility Organisation plays a crucial role in both producer and consumer awareness,and in ensuring that plastic waste is safely managed.However,the local recycling infrastructure of 6.5 Mt in 2018 is a major barrier to reaching 50%recycling of plastic packaging in the EU by 2025.The European recycling capacity only covered about 23%of the cumulative post-consumer plastic waste generation,delaying the transition to the EU circular plastic economy.The recycling capacity has increased by 3 Mt between 2018 and 2020 and needs to continue its rapid expansion to become autonomous in reaching the recycling targets.

生产者责任延伸视角下中德电子废物环境管理对比研究

电子废物具有产生量大、资源价值高和环境风险高的特点,其资源化利用和无害化处置是国际上研究的热点。过去十年间,我国建立了基于生产者责任延伸原则的电子废物环境管理制度,取得了较好的成效,促进了电子废物处理产业的快速发展。鉴于德国电子废物环境管理起步早、建立了完善的环境管理制度,本研究通过在生产者责任延伸视角下对比研究中德电子废物环境管理制度,发现我国在电子废物管理制度、各相关方责任、回收渠道、废弃电子电气设备(Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment,WEEE)物质流数据统计等方面尚需持续完善。本文结合我国实际,提出了进一步完善我国电子废物环境管理制度的相关建议,期望可为我国电子废物环境管理部门完善相关政策提供参考。

End-of-life batteries management and material flow analysis in South Korea

Consumers increasingly have worn-out batteries as electrical and electronic equipment with new technical developments are introduced into the market and quickly replace older models. As a result, large amounts of end-of-life （EOL） or waste batteries are generated. Such batteries may contain a variety of materials that includes valuable resources as well as toxic elements. Thus, the proper recycling and management of batteries is very important from the perspective of resource conservation and environmental effect. The collection and recycling of EOL batteries is relatively low in South Korea compared to other countries, although an extended producer responsibility （EPR） policy was adopted for battery recycling in 2003. In this study, the management and material flow of EOL batteries is presented to determine potential problems and quantitative flow, based on literature review, site visits to battery recycling facilities, and interviews with experts in the Korea Battery Recycling Association （KBRA）, manufacturers, and regulators in government. The results show that approximately 558 tons of manganese-alkaline batteries, the largest fraction among recycling target items, was disposed in landfills or incinerators in 2015, while approximately 2,000 tons of batteries were recovered at a recycling facility by simple sorting and crushing processes. By raising environmental awareness, more diverse and effective collection systems could be established for consumers to easily dispose of EOL batteries in many places. Producers, retailers and distributors in South Korea should also play an important role in the collection of EOL batteries from consumers. Lithium-ion batteries from many electronic devices must be included in the EPR system for resource recovery.