Beneficial use practice of e-wastes in Republic of Korea

The EPR system, Eco-Assurance System, and the Allbaro system were examined as the regulation of E-wastes in this study. And beneficial use practice of E-wastes in Korea was introduced to improve recycling activities including collection system and recovery center with facilities. In order to improve the recycling of waste in Korea (Republic of), the act on the promotion of saving and recycling of resources was activated in 1992. Under the act, waste charges and waste deposit fee system were operated for several products from industries to promote recycling measurement. Due to the abolition of waste deposit system in 2002, extended producer responsibility (EPR) system was introduced in 20003 by the amendment of recycling law. Since early 2004, the Ministry of Environment of Korea has carried out a feasibility study to introduce an "Eco-Assurance System (The ECOAS)" which would restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and promote recycling of E-wastes by applying a systemic management for life cycle analysis from cradle to grave. On January 2008, the Eco-Assurance Committee System in Korea has been implemented under the Act on the Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles for resource circulation and environmental conservation in a joint legislation by the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Knowledge & Economy, and the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. According to the ECOAS in Korea, 5 product groups and 27 items of WEEE including refrigerator, personal computer, electric oven, audio, and mobile phone are controlled to intensify the recycling capacity in electronic industries. Beneficial use practice of recycling E-Waste in Korea were examined to improve recycling activities including collection system, recovery center with facilities by the information of E-Waste generation and recycling, policy and regulations of E-Waste. Even though total generation of E-wastes was almost constant recently, the generation trend of TV, refrigerator and washing machine was very increased because those products was used in household more than 2 times for past 10 years. Also, recycling rates of those E-wastes will be increased because recycling technologies have been improved and those E-wastes were readily decomposed by heavy parts. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.