On September 26, 2024, the Ministry of Environment announced a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Waste Management Act. This amendment aims to enhance waste management practices and align regulations with current standards.
Key changes include:
Return of Follow-up Management Performance Deposits: Adjusting the interest rate for returning deposits to match the average rate of one-year term deposits at commercial banks.
Updated Definition of Waste Toxic Substances: Aligning with the revised Chemicals Control Act to better classify toxic substances.
Clarification of Medical Waste Categories: Including human secretions such as bodily fluids, secretions, and sputum (excluding blood) as medical waste.
Enhancement of Recycling Facilities: Upgrading classification facilities to enforcement ordinances specifying types of waste treatment facilities.
Standardization of Expiration Dates for Waste Disposal Business Conformity: Distributing expiration dates of conformity confirmations evenly over five years.
Detailed Amendments
Return of Follow-up Management Performance Deposits (Article 31):
The return rate will be adjusted to reflect the average interest rate of one-year term deposits at commercial banks.
Classification of Toxic Substances (Annex 1):
Toxic substances will be categorized as acute, chronic, or ecological hazards under the Chemicals Control Act.
Additional categories include restricted, permitted, prohibited, and accident-preparedness substances.
Medical Waste Definition (Annex 2):
Human secretions such as bodily fluids, secretions, and sputum (excluding blood) will be classified as general medical waste.
Recycling Facilities (Annex 3):
Classification facilities will be upgraded to enforcement ordinances specifying types of waste treatment facilities.
Conformity Confirmation Expiration Dates (Schedule 5):
The initial expiration date for existing processors licensed until 2023 will be evenly distributed over five years.
The validity period will start in the month's first quarter following the approval date.
The public consultation ended on November 6, 2024.