| Measures across Value Chain
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| Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design (example: improved durability, reparability, recyclability, reduction of material use per product…etc.) |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
▶ (Evaluation System for Recyclability) Evaluate the factors that impede the recyclability of products, containers, etc., being produced, processed, and sold, and encourage manufacturers to make improvements in the product manufacturing phase to promote recycling. In addition, a standard for weight is added to evaluate recyclability from March 2024.
▶ (Quality Certification Committee on Certified Buoy)To enhance the eco-friendliness and resource circulation of buoys used in fisheries (fishing boats and aquaculture), the 'Quality Certification Committee on Certified Buoy' is operated to review the eco-friendliness, recyclability, durability, and usability of new buoys.
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| Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives, recycled materials at production stage. |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
■ Use of Biodegradable Plastics
Brief Description:
Subsidies are provided to fishermen who replace existing fishing gear with biodegradable alternatives.
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| Steps taken towards restricting microplastics in products. |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
Targeted Products
■ Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
■ Others
Brief Description:
The manufacture, sale, import, and use of cosmetics and non-medical cleansing and exfoliation products containing solid plastics smaller than 5 mm are prohibited. Additionally, laundry products containing microplastics are banned.
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| Reduce single-use plastic (shopping bags, straws etc.) by regulations or voluntary measures (such as ban, levy, others) |
Yes |
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■ Regulatory Measures (ex: production ban, ban on use..etc)
▶ (Regulation of Single-Use Items) Ban on the use of single-use cups, plastic straws, and free provision of single-use bags and shopping bags in facilities such as group feeding centers, food service businesses, and large-scale stores. Moreover, the use of plastic umbrella covers, provided by the department and other stores on rainy days are prohibited while the use of plastic cheering equipment is also banned in sports facilities.
▶ (Brief Description) Starting from November 2022, the compliance requirements for each industry will be strengthened and the range of single-use items subject to regulation will be expanded. In addition to those, policy measures to encourage a voluntary participation in reducing single-use plastics have been scaled-up since November 2023.
■ Economic Measures (levy, tax, subsidies…etc.)
▶ (Deposit System for Disposable Cups) Disposable cups used in beverage-selling brand stores (Sejong and Jeju areas) with more than 100 operating branches nationwide.
▶ (Brief Description) Disposable cups used in beverage-selling brand stores (Sejong and Jeju areas) include a resource circulation deposit (300won) when sold. Customers can get their deposit refunded by returning the disposable cup.
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| Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
| Targeted Products |
▶ 4 types of packing materials (carton pack, metal can, glass bottle, plastic packages)
▶ 24 types of products (5 types of file products, batteries, tires, lubricant, fishing gear, etc.)
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| Nature of Responsibility |
■ Financial Responsibility
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■ Collective Rroducer Responsibility
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| Modality |
Mandatory EPR
■ Advance Disposal Fee
(price: $0.026/kg~ $0.75/kg)
■ Downstream Subsidy
(price: $0.01/kg~$1.04/kg)
■ Deposit Refund System
(price:Only glass bottles, $0.05 ~ $0.25 per bottle)
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Voluntary EPR
- |
Eco-Modulation
(if applicable)
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■ Fees Modulated Based on Recyclability of Products |
Performance Indicators
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■ Recycling Rate* Current: 63%
The total average of all EPR products
■ Others: No collection rate. Instead, Korea EPR has recycling obligation rate over product and import volume per EPR products. |
| Brief Description |
For satisfying the recycling obligatory rate, most of the producers, importers, and brand owners pay their contributions to EPR, which consists of 14 entities that represent producers, collectors and recyclers.
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| Improve waste management and recycling system |
Yes
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Specific Measures:
(IT-based management system) Establishing an IT-based system to accurately and quickly build basic statistics that are the foundation of waste-related policies. In particular, the Allbaro System (e-manifest system) manages the entire process, from discharge to handover to treatment, online, and efforts are underway to prevent blind spots in illegal dumping through establishment of an automatic transmission system for on-site information from October 2022. Moreover, the government is currently planning an information management system to monitor domestic waste by type.
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| Promoting plastic waste re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities |
Yes
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Specific Measures:
Innovative measures to reduce marine debris have been established and implemented since 2023. To improve private recycling of marine waste, the government is supporting the development of related technologies. In 2024, a facility is operated to collect recyclable waste ropes generated from ships.
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| Install capturing trap/filter on drainage/river |
Yes
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Specific Measures:
Article 11 of the Management of Marine Debris and Contaminated Marine Sediment Act requires national and local agencies to implement measures to block marine inflow and prevent waste from entering the sea via rivers and streams. To prevent land-based waste from flowing into the ocean, waste collection facilities have been installed in rivers, streams, and estuaries that flow into the sea. A status survey will be conducted in 2025 for the installation of facilities that prevent land-based waste from flowing into streams, based on which a trial installation will be undertaken in the near future.
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| Conduct clean-up activities in rivers/ wetlands/ beaches/ coasts/ coral reefs/ sea floor, involving local communities involving local communities |
Yes
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Specific Measures:
Local governments and citizens regularly collaborate to collect waste from rivers, wetlands, and coasts. Sedimentary waste in the sea is also collected on a regular basis through cooperation between the central and local governments. Notably, Adopt-A-Beach programs have been operated since 2020, with the private sector spearheading efforts to clean beaches and coastal areas.
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| Issue-specific Measures |
| ＜1＞ Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) |
| Taken/to be taken National Level Action and/or Community Level Action on Clean sea initiatives including ghost net retrieval, ocean-bound plastics etc. |
Yes
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Specific Measures:
National and local governments are collecting discarded fishing gear in accordance with the Management of Marine Debris and Contaminated Marine Sediment Act and its framework plan. Notably, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, a fishermen's organization, is conducting a collection project in collaboration with the government. This initiative uses fishing boats to gather discarded gear from offshore waters during the fishing season.
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| Taken actions for preventing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) being generated. |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
To prevent fishing waste from entering the ocean, a deposit system for fishing gear and buoys was introduced in 2022 and will be implemented starting January 2024. Under this system, fishermen pay a deposit when purchasing fishing gear and receive a refund when they return used gear. Initially applied to fish traps (excluding eel traps) from January 2024, the system is scheduled to extend to gillnets and fishing buoys in 2026.
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| Created/creating collection/recycling mechanism for ALDFG |
Yes
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Specific Measures:
National and local governments are responsible for collecting abandoned fishing gear generated during fishing activities. Both central and local authorities regularly conduct collection projects for this purpose. The locations of discarded fishing gear are identified through surveys of fishermen and scientific research, leading to the designation of collection areas that are addressed on a regular annual basis. The collection process involves dedicated government-owned vessels, local government vessels, and private collection vessels.
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＜2＞ Port Waste Reception
For waste management in ports, please provide details regarding their solid waste management practices/facilities including:
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| Whether there is an applicable legal framework |
Yes |
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Brief Description:
(Marine Environment Management Act) Based on this act, which reflects the objectives of MARPOL regulations, waste produced by ships and/or marine facilities at a port (e.g. trade port) is required to be collected and processed by a private oil spill response contractor. In the event there are no private contractor-operated facilities, there are publicly-operated waste storage facilities at 13 major ports.
(Harbor Transport Business Act) Only entities that have 1) obtained a license for waste collection and transport under the Wastes Control Act or 2) signed a consignment contract with such licensed entities for the transport of waste at sea can be registered as ship waste collection and transport contractors and engage in the collection and/or transport of general waste at ports in accordance with the Harbor Transport Business Act.
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| The institution(s) responsible for (or playing a central role in, if voluntary action) managing the waste from ships? (example: port management authority, fishers' association...etc.) |
Yes |
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Brief Description:
The responsibility for managing ship-produced waste generally lies with the ship’s owner. Waste storage facilities are installed and operated by KOEM. Oil spill response contractors are registered and overseen by the Marine Environmental Guard, which is an affiliate of the Korea Coast Guard. Port transport is managed by the Management Authority, which oversees the activities of local port authorities and local governments.
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| Whether ports possess waste reception facilities/systems to handle solid waste from ships, the volume of waste collected and the percentage of ports with waste reception facilities? |
Yes |
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Brief Description:
As of 2024, there are 74 private contractors and 13 state-operated waste storage facilities that collect the waste produced by ships and ports nationwide. There are also 66 registered oil spill response contractors.
Volume of Waste Collected:
As of 2024, 360,000 tons of waste produced at trade ports is collected and processed by private contractors and state-operated waste storage facilities. Oil spill response contractors collect and process 320,000 tons of waste (e.g. bilge, discarded oil, sludge).
Percentage of Ports with Waste Reception Facilities:
There are a total of 31 trade ports in the ROK, and all of them are equipped with WRFs (100%).
All 31 of Korea’s trade ports are equipped with waste facilities.
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| The handling procedures for each distinct waste stream once onshore. |
Yes |
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Brief Description:
After a ship or marine facility makes a waste collection request to the port’s oil spill response contractor or waste storage facility, the respective entity sends a vehicle or ship to the site in question to collect the waste. Collected waste/pollutants are handed over to a waste processing contractor, in accordance with the Wastes Control Act.
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| Partnership and Innovation |
| Boost multi-stakeholder involvement and awareness-raising |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
Locally-based interactive programs that link citizens with fishing villages are boosting the Korean public’s awareness of marine debris through in-person visits to fishing areas.
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| Encourage/ Incentivize action by private sector companies to reduce/ sustainably manage their plastic waste. |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
Reorganize Adopt-A-Beach programs (in which private organizations/corporations keep a beach clean over the long term by “adopting” it) to induce voluntary participation by the private sector, encouraging corporations to participate in marine debris clean-up as part of CSR efforts.
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| Encourage public awareness on MPL issues through formal education system and/or curriculum for |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
The government conducts regular marine waste education in line with the 2nd Comprehensive Plan for Marine Environment Education (2021~2025) and the Framework Plan for the Management of Marine Debris and Contaminated Marine Sediment. The National Marine Environment Education Center, established under the Environmental Education Act, develops teaching materials on marine debris, operates mobile classrooms for marine environment education, and manages the National Marine Environment Online Education Center (https://edu.merti.or.kr/user/Main.do).
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| Promote innovative solutions through Research & Development (e.g., subsidy program, investment fund etc.) |
- |
| Monitoring, Data Management, Understanding Flow of Plastics/MPL |
| Conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of plastic products. What are the challenges if LCA is not conducted?
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- |
| Conduct Material Flow Analysis (MFA) on plastics. What are the challenges if MFA is not conducted?
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- |
Conduct monitoring / estimation / scientific research on leakage of plastics/microplastics to the natural environment and/or flow of ocean surface.
What are the challenges if these actions are not conducted?
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Yes |
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Specific Measures:
■ Regularly Conduct Monitoring/Estimation/Scientific Research
Scope: ■ National■ Ocean
Brief Description:
By reorganizing beach debris monitoring efforts (2008-2023), a model is being established that can predict marine debris quantities based on estimation models. The model is expected to be used widely.
Challenges (if applicable):
This measure is intended to secure data that can serve as the groundwork for marine debris policymaking. If it is not adequately implemented, any subsequently designed marine debris policy will be much less accurate/effective.
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| International Collaboration |
| Participate in international cooperation through international organizations, multi-national groups, etc. |
Yes |
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Specific Measures:
- PEMSEA and the Korean government are carrying out a project to reduce marine plastics in East Asian Seas (from 2023 to 2028 / appx.USD8.6million)
- The Korean government-PEMSEA-OSEAN (Out Sea of East Asia Network) launched an initiative to achieve zero marine waste.
- IMO and the Korean government are carrying out marine waste reduction projects for countries under the New Southern Policy, such as Vietnam (from 2023 to 2027 / appx.USD5.4million)
- IUCN and the Korean government are carrying out a project to reduce the ecological impact of marine plastic pollution targeting Pacific island countries (from 2024 to 2028 / appx.USD3.6 million)
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| Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: South, Central and Southeast Asia |
Yes
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Target Regions:
■ South Asia
Specific Measures:
To improve the marine environment in the Philippines and East Timor, the Korean government and PEMSEA are jointly implemented a marine plastic reduction project (from 2023 to 2028 / appx. USD8.6million).
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