🚨 Recycling EPR

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.09.05

0️⃣ 800,000 Tons of Clothing Waste and Extended Producer Responsibility Discussion

📌 800,000 tons of clothing waste... Need for 'Recycling EPR' in clothing sector raised

💬 South Korea produces about 800,000 tons of clothing waste every year. As cheap clothing consumption spreads, the amount of waste keeps growing. The current system of sending waste overseas for processing is facing limits due to stronger international rules. The Korea Environment Institute suggests that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) should be introduced for clothing too. The report recommends starting with 'Pre-EPR' first, where the government and industry work together to set recycling targets and provide incentives, since full EPR introduction is difficult right now. This would help build a stable collection and recycling system in Korea and create a foundation for a circular economy.

💡 Summary

• Recycling EPR is a system where producers take responsibility for environmental impact from production to disposal.
• South Korea produces 800,000 tons of clothing waste annually, and improving the processing system is urgent.
• Step-by-step Pre-EPR implementation is being proposed for EPR introduction in the clothing sector.

1️⃣ Definition

Recycling EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) means a system where producers take responsibility for the environmental impact throughout the entire process from production to disposal of products, and have the duty to collect and recycle them. EPR stands for 'Extended Producer Responsibility', which is an environmental policy that gives producers the responsibility for managing waste that occurs after consumers use their products.

This system aims to save resources and create a circular economy by giving producers recycling targets. Currently in South Korea, it applies to electronics, packaging materials, and tires, but it has not been introduced for clothing yet.

💡 Why is this important?

• It's a key system that reduces waste and promotes circular use of resources.
• It encourages producers to actively design environmentally friendly products.
• It creates a fair structure where producers, not society as a whole, bear the cost of waste processing.
• It becomes the foundation for building a circular economy for sustainable consumption and production.

2️⃣ Current Status and Problems of Clothing Waste

📕 Rapidly Increasing Clothing Waste and Processing Limitations

• The amount of clothing waste is growing rapidly. Key facts include:

  • South Korea produces about 800,000 tons of clothing waste annually.
  • The spread of fast fashion continuously increases both clothing consumption and disposal.
  • Online shopping growth has led to more impulse buying and short-term wearing before disposal.
  • As clothing lifespan shortens, annual disposal amounts increase by 3-5% each year.

• Current processing methods show clear limitations. Major problems include:

  • Korea's clothing recycling rate is very low at about 20%.
  • Most clothing waste is exported overseas for processing.
  • Export-dependent methods face limits as international waste import regulations strengthen.
  • Domestic recycling technology and infrastructure are insufficient for high-quality recycling.

📕 Environmental Burden of Fast Fashion

• Low-cost clothing consumption patterns worsen environmental problems. Key situations include:

  • Clothing prices continue to fall, making clothes consumed like disposable items.
  • Fast fashion changes mean even good clothes are easily thrown away.
  • Increased clothing production leads to rapid growth in raw material use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Low-quality materials have poor durability, making disposal happen sooner.

• The need for circular economy transition is growing. Major tasks include:

  • Moving away from the current linear economy (production-consumption-disposal) structure.
  • Resource circulation through extending clothing life and reuse and recycling is needed.
  • Eco-friendly design considering recycling from the production stage is required.
  • Consumer awareness improvement must go hand in hand with institutional support.

💡 Major Problems of Clothing Waste

1. Rapidly increasing amounts: 800,000 tons of clothing waste produced annually
2. Low recycling rate: Domestic recycling rate of about 20% is very poor
3. Overseas-dependent processing: Unstable structure of processing most waste through overseas export
4. Increased environmental burden: Resource waste and greenhouse gas emissions due to fast fashion
5. Institutional gap: Absence of producer responsibility system in clothing sector

3️⃣ EPR Introduction Plans and Expected Effects

✅ Step-by-step Introduction through Pre-EPR

• A gradual approach considering clothing sector characteristics has been proposed. Main plans include:

  • Since full EPR introduction is difficult right now, starting with the preliminary stage Pre-EPR first.
  • Government and industry cooperating to set reasonable recycling targets.
  • Providing incentives to producers to encourage voluntary participation.
  • First establishing technical foundations for building collection and recycling systems.

• Systematic foundation building should be prioritized. Major tasks include:

  • Securing accurate statistics on clothing waste generation and recycling status is needed.
  • Developing and standardizing recycling technology by clothing type and material must proceed.
  • Infrastructure expansion through building collection networks and fostering recycling companies is required.
  • Education and promotion programs for improving consumer awareness and participation are needed.

✅ Circular Economy Building and Environmental Improvement Effects

• Resource saving and environmental protection effects are expected. Major effects include:

  • Improved clothing recycling rates will greatly reduce waste generation.
  • Reduced use of new raw materials will enable resource saving and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
  • Development of domestic recycling industry can lower overseas dependence.
  • Building a circular economy system can establish a foundation for sustainable clothing industry.

• Industry structure improvement and innovation will be promoted. Major changes include:

  • Producers will start designing eco-friendly products considering recycling.
  • High-quality clothing production with better durability can improve fast fashion culture.
  • New business models like clothing rental, reform, and upcycling will develop.
  • Recycling technology innovation and related job creation effects are also expected.

4️⃣ Related Terms

🔎 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

• EPR is an environmental policy that extends producer responsibility to the entire product lifecycle.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility was implemented in 2003 based on the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources. It sets recycling targets for producers and the government manages compliance, with fines possible for non-compliance.
  • Currently in Korea, about 10 types of items including electronics, packaging materials, tires, lubricants, and batteries are EPR targets. Each item has set recycling obligation rates, and producers can either recycle directly or delegate to recycling agencies. After introducing the system, recycling rates for target items have greatly improved.
  • The core principle of EPR is the 'polluter pays principle', meaning the party causing environmental problems should bear the cost of solving them. This encourages producers to actively engage in environmentally friendly product design and fundamentally reduces waste generation.

🔎 Circular Economy

• Circular economy is a sustainable economic model that recycles waste into resources.
  • Circular Economy means an economic structure that minimizes resource waste in product production and consumption processes and reuses waste as resources again. The goal is to move away from the existing linear economy (production-consumption-disposal) to create a circular structure of 'production-consumption-reuse-recycling'.
  • Main principles of circular economy include: first, eliminating waste and pollutants from the design stage. Second, increasing durability so products and materials can be used as long as possible. Third, regenerating natural systems to preserve biodiversity.
  • In the clothing sector, circular economy is implemented through sustainable material use, durable product design, clothing rental services, upcycling, and recycling. Circular economy transition is accelerating worldwide centered on the EU, and South Korea is also actively working on building a circular economy as part of the Korean New Deal.

🔎 Fast Fashion

• Fast fashion is an industry method of mass-producing low-cost clothing to match rapid fashion changes.
  • Fast Fashion is a business model that mass-produces and sells low-cost clothing that quickly reflects trends to match short fashion cycles. It increases collections from the previous 2-4 times per year to 12-20+ times per year, continuously stimulating consumer purchasing desire.
  • Fast fashion characteristics include: first, low prices that allow anyone to easily follow trends. Second, fast production cycles that reflect the latest trends in real-time. Third, cost reduction through mass production economies of scale. Fourth, market expansion through global marketing via online shopping malls.
  • However, fast fashion causes serious environmental problems. Major issues include rapid increase in clothing waste, water pollution from chemical dyes, greenhouse gas emissions from mass production, and resource waste due to low quality. Accordingly, fast fashion regulations are strengthening centered on Europe, and transition to Sustainable Fashion is required.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What's the difference between Pre-EPR and official EPR?

A: Pre-EPR is a preparation stage before official EPR introduction, focusing on voluntary participation rather than enforcement.

• Pre-EPR is a system operated as a preliminary stage before official EPR introduction. First, in terms of enforcement, official EPR is a legal obligation with fines for non-compliance, but Pre-EPR is based on voluntary participation. Second, the government cooperates with industry to set reasonable recycling targets and provide incentives. Third, during this period, collection and recycling systems are built and technical foundations are established. Fourth, accurate statistics and data needed for system design are collected.
• The purpose of Pre-EPR is to minimize industry shock from sudden system introduction while gradually transitioning to an official EPR system. The clothing sector needs this step-by-step approach because recycling technology is complex and infrastructure is insufficient.

Q: What impact will clothing EPR introduction have on consumers?

A: There may be price increase factors in the short term, but long-term benefits include high-quality products and environmental improvements.

• The impact of clothing EPR introduction on consumers is complex. First, in the short term, producer recycling costs may be reflected in product prices, causing clothing prices to rise slightly. Second, however, as producers engage in design considering recycling, they will make more durable, high-quality products. Third, as fast fashion culture improves, clothing purchase costs may actually decrease in the long term. Fourth, reduced clothing waste will improve the environment, providing indirect benefits.
• Also, as new services like clothing rental, reform, and upcycling develop, consumer choice will expand. Infrastructure for conveniently disposing of old clothes through clothing collection services or in-store recycling programs is also expected to increase.

Q: How do other countries operate clothing EPR?

A: Clothing EPR introduction is spreading centered on the EU, with various methods applied according to each country's environmental policies.

• Looking at overseas clothing EPR status, France first introduced clothing EPR in 2007, and most EU countries now operate similar systems. First, France imposes collection and recycling obligations on clothing producers and operates a system where clothing stores collect old clothes for free. Second, Germany has built a system that separately collects and recycles clothing waste. Third, the Netherlands efficiently manages clothing collection and recycling through producer associations.
• The EU mandated that all member countries separately collect clothing waste starting in 2025 and is pushing for clothing EPR introduction by 2030. Some US states are also discussing clothing EPR legislation, so global expansion is expected. In line with this international trend, South Korea also needs to prepare for clothing EPR introduction proactively.

Table of Contents

• Go to Guide