Starting next year, plastic toys will also need to be collected and recycled by manufacturers, importers, and sellers along with other plastic products. The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment announced on the 16th that the revised enforcement decree of the ‘Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources,’ which includes adding plastic toys to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, was approved at the Cabinet meeting and will take effect from January 1st next year.
The EPR system requires producers to pay contributions to a collective association, which then provides recycling support funds based on the performance of recycling companies. This amendment aims to promote resource circulation by incorporating plastic toys, which were previously classified as difficult-to-recycle items and subject to waste disposal fees, into a full-fledged recycling system.
Since 2019, the government has been operating a pilot collection, sorting, and recycling system by setting recycling rate targets through voluntary agreements with producer groups. With the stable recycling foundation confirmed by exceeding the targets each year, it was decided to include toys in the EPR system. When the amendment takes effect, 18 types of toys, including activity, art and craft, puzzles, functional, blocks, and assembly toys, will be newly included in the EPR system.
The recycling standard cost for toys is set at 343 won per kg, reflecting the actual costs of collection, transportation, sorting, and recycling. The method of separating and discharging toys from daily life will also be clarified with this amendment, allowing general plastic toys to be separated and discharged in the same way as existing plastic products without additional procedures. However, toys that use batteries or are classified as electrical and electronic products must be discharged through dedicated small appliance collection boxes or electronic product collection systems operated by local governments to eliminate fire and explosion risks.