일본의 포장폐기물 관리제도

Abstract

The packaging waste management system in Japan is centered on the Container and Packaging Recycling Law in relation to the waste policy within the framework of the Fundamental Law on Resource Circulation. The Extended Producer Responsibility in the Container and Packaging Recycling Law is, by transferring the responsibility for re-merchandising from the end consumer or the municipality to the business operator so as to internalize the cost required for recycling to the price of the product and give the business operator the incentive to reduce the cost, thereby promoting the reduction and recycling of packaging waste. In the implementation process of the Law, there are active discussions on the cost sharing in terms of the fairness of the burden due to the obligations of re-commodification in order to improve the system according to the appropriation sharing and equitable sharing under the Fundamental Law on Resource Circulation. In addition, they seek ways of decreasing environmental load, effective use of resources, reduction of social costs, and strengthening of expanded producer responsibility. Packaging waste accounts for a large portion of the consumer’s life, and the material of the packaging is relatively simple, thus it is possible to efficiently manage the entire packaging process, including use of packaging materials, implementation of packaging, and generation of packaging waste. For the efficient management of such packaging wastes, it is necessary to consider enactment of legislation for the separate management of packaging and packaging wastes, as in the case of Japan.