The ministry said it held a Circular Economy New Technology and Service Review Committee meeting on April 30 at Seoul Square and conducted the reviews there. The circular-economy regulatory sandbox, introduced in January 2024, allows companies to test new technologies and services within limited time, locations and scale; if safety and effectiveness are proven, related regulations can be improved or supplemented.
The latest review focused largely on expanding chemical recycling of waste plastics through pyrolysis and reducing packaging waste, as part of a shift away from plastics. In South Korea, waste-plastic recycling currently consists of 58% thermal recycling and 41% material recycling, while chemical recycling through pyrolysis accounts for just 1%, the ministry said.
Under the plan, waste-plastic projects will receive exemptions from waste-related regulations during the demonstration period. Based on the results, the ministry said it will revise standards for recognizing circular resources so that chemical recycling such as pyrolysis can be more readily used. It said most waste plastics generated at worksites are now sent to thermal recycling because collection systems are inadequate and treatment costs are an issue.
Regulatory exemptions were also granted for a project to test whether solid fuel products can be used as pyrolysis feedstock. Solid fuel products made from combustible waste are currently limited to use in power generation facilities or industrial boilers. During the test period, the fuel will be fed into pyrolysis facilities to verify the volume and composition of pyrolysis oil produced, and the ministry said it will consider revising related rules.
The ministry also said it will adjust regulations to test recycling options for pyrolysis residue. Because the residue has lacked a separate classification number, it has been disposed of in landfills. The ministry said it plans to allow various recycling uses, including as a soil conditioner and solid fuel, and to create new waste classification numbers and recycling categories.
Other projects granted sandbox status include reducing packaging waste by improving labeling methods for household chemical products and producing leather and cosmetics materials using plant-based residues.
Kim Go-eung, director general of the ministry's Resource Circulation Bureau, said the ministry will provide broad support to promote high-quality circular use of plastics and reduce plastic waste. He said the ministry will work with industry to improve the on-site applicability of recycling technologies so the circular economy can spread across society.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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