RECYCLING RULES TO TRANSFORM PLASTIC INTO FIBER

[Anchor Lead]

There has been recent success in Korea in transforming plastic bottles into regenerated fiber. But in order to replace the amount of plastic bottle imports, it's said that more bottles need to be collected domestically for recycled use. And to make recycling easier, the process of sorting and collecting transparent bottles will be improved.

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Here at an apartment complex, the separation of garbage is under way. But plastic bottles are seen jumbled together with other types of plastic. Also labels remain attached on the plastic bottles. The labels are hard to tear off. Residents are also confused as to how to dispose of bottle lids that are made from a different material.

[Soundbite] (APARTMENT CUSTODIAN(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "We can't tear these off with bare hands. I need a razor or something."

To address these problems, the government has decided to improve the waste separation process from the consumer level. First, labels will be encouraged to be made with a perforated line so it can be easily torn off. Labels that easily float on water and don't use adhesives will also be sought for wider circulation. Garbage collection instructions will also see changes to help consumers more effectively separate their waste.

[Soundbite] (YANGCHEON-GU DISTRICT RESIDENT) : "(How does this look?) I don't really take a look and just throw it away."

Measures will also be drafted so that transparent bottles don't get mixed with other plastics in the collection process. Ordinary garbage trucks must not be used to pick up plastic bottles while garbage removal firms will receive government support for facility improvement and investment. The global plastic bottle recycling market is expected to double in size in 8 years. Korea is facing pressure to quickly come up with a recycling system to better utilize high quality plastic bottles.

[Soundbite] KIM HYO-JEONG(MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT) : "The measures are part of long term preparations for possible future regulations in the use of recycled materials. They are also aimed at gaining a foothold in a potential market."

The environment ministry is also discussing ways to recycle bottles into food containers.