종량제봉투의 불법유통 방지를 위한 폐기물관리법과 조례의 개선방안

Every local government has started to manufacture and sell standard plastic garbage bags since the implementation of the volume-rate garbage disposal system in 1995. As the price of the garbage bag increased, many instances of illegal production and distribution of the bags have been found. The reason why this undesirable practice has been widespread is that anybody could easily manipulate these bags with no technical difficulties and the selling price can be ten times higher than the production costs. In response to this practice, each local government has taken various policy measures, including the introduction of bar codes and secret markings, but the result has nevertheless been quite negative. All measures have proven useless. This type of forgery-prevention system may be effective for the time being, but it is commonly expected that new kinds of forgery practice will develop soon and other illegal bags will be distributed. This paper has presented desirable policy measures to solve this illegal distribution of garbage bags, with special reference to the relevant ordinances of the present Waste Control Act. The crux of the paper is that responsibility of implementation and positive distribution of standard plastic garbage bags must be borne and equally shared by all relevant actors, such as manufacturers, distributors, sellers and consumers. In other words, new provisions must be provided for the sanction of the distributors who manufacture and distribute bags illegally. Sellers of the illegal bags should also be subject to the imposition of fines. At the same time, it is obligatory for residents to buy only the permitted standard plastic garbage bags, and they should be subject to a fine if they violate this rule. For all of this to be effective, the Waste Control Act and relevant ordinances of local governments must be revised accordingly.