SDGs시대의 폐기물 정책 : EU·일본의 플라스틱 법률 제·개정 동향

The South Korean government established plastic generation reduction and recycling measures in December 2020 to reduce plastic waste generation by 20% and achieve a recycling rate of 70% by 2025. To attain these goals, detailed implementation plans are required; however, the enabling system should be preceded. This study investigated wasterelated legal systems focusing on the enactment and revision contents of the Plastic Act of the EU and Japan to draw implications for South Korea. The research results show that the EU and Japan have implemented operations related to packaging and plastic wastes, whereas South Korea does not have specialized laws in this regard. Although the EU and Japan have already enforced the packaging waste act, the plastic act has been additionally implemented to counteract international trends concerning sustainable development and carbon neutrality and lead the global market and policies associated with plastic. Such policies are also required in South Korea due to long-standing plastic-related problems; the current fragmentary measures implemented by the government are also insufficient for addressing these issues. Therefore, necessary laws must be enforced to manage plastic disposal and reuse in South Korea professionally.