A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

The Ministry of Environment has been
pursuing a three-fold policy to tackle the issue.
The main objectives of the policy are:
• Regulating packaging materials such as
expanded polystyrene i.e., styrofoam, since
1993, and various PVC packaging materials
since 2001
• Regulating packaging methods to restrict
over-packaging
• Gradually reducing packaging material
made from plastics each year
HEALTHCARE WASTE
Generation of waste from the healthcare sector
in Korea has rapidly increased over the past
decade. According to the MoE, approximately
34,000 tons of regulated healthcare waste was
generated from nearly 45,000 healthcare
facilities.
National data shows that healthcare waste
generation is skewed towards the largest
generators- hospitals containing more than 100
beds. Approximately 60% of healthcare waste
came from hospitals, which account for only
less than 0.7% of all generators. This indicates
that such facilities are the largest source of
waste when compared to other healthcare
facilities. The average amount of waste
generated was about 70 tons/hospital in 2002.
The generation rate of waste from general
hospitals was found to be 0.48 kg/bed/day with
the total number of beds at about 114,000. The
amount of waste generated per clinic is
significantly lower at 0.2 tons/year, although
they represent more than 85% of all generators.
Steam sterilization followed by incineration is
the major treatment method for healthcare
waste. About 90% of the total waste stream
undergoes off-site treatment. The remaining
waste, less than 10%, is treated at on-site
incinerators or steam sterilization facilities at
some general hospitals where incinerators or
steam sterilization is available. Only 12 out of
the 292 general hospitals treat their own
medical waste on-site by incineration, while
two general hospitals employ steam
sterilization with shredding of their medical
wastes. In recent years, many general hospitals
have stopped operating their on-site
incinerators because of the strict regulations of
air pollutant emissions, especially dioxins, and
their proximity to the city.
Findings
Until 1999, healthcare was regulated by the
Medical Law under the Ministry of Health and
Welfare. These wastes were often mixed with
municipal solid waste and commonly disposed
of in municipal landfill sites or improper
treatment facilities. Facing the management
problems of medical wastes, the Korea
National Assembly modified the Waste
Management Act in 1999 to better control
medical waste from the point of generation to
its final destination. The Korean MOE
promulgated several regulations for definition,
segregation, packaging, tracking, and disposal
of medical waste. However, the only available
option for managing healthcare waste in South
Korea, after 2005, is incineration. Alternatives
like separation of waste at source and waste
minimization for incineration have not been
successful in healthcare facilities.
E-WASTE
The rise in economic growth of Korea in the
last two decades increased the volume of ewaste
steadily. The rapid growth of the IT
industries particularly due to the pivotal role of
semiconductor manufacturing is the major
driving force for the expansion of the domestic
market.
Three recycling centers of capacities close to
900,000 units/year were established and are in
full operation to recycle e-wastes, especially
refrigerators, washing machines and air
conditioners. All waste televisions, in the recent
years, are recycled on a commission basis by
several private recycling plants. The recycling
of waste personal computers and mobile
phones is insignificant when compared with
the amount of estimated obsolete. Korea is
making consistent efforts to improve the
recycling rate to the standards indicated in the
EU directives.
Chapter 3: Country Analysis
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