RPR-2009-10

326 Pages·2010·4.27 MB·English

by  Maria Anastasia

ERIA Research Project Report 2009, No. 10

33 RR

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Edited by
MICHIKAZU KOJIMA

March 2010
Preface

This is the second interim report of the Working Group on 3R Policies for
Southeast and East Asia. The working group conducted the second workshop in
Jakarta in October 2009, the third workshop in Kuala Lumpur in January 2010, and the
fourth workshop in Jakarta in March 2010. In this fiscal year, we focus on the roles
of stakeholders, the significance of industrial standards for promoting recycling, the
location of recycling infrastructure in the region, among others.
The working group organized two seminars in Indonesia in March 2010. The
first workshop is co-organized with Bandung Institute of Technology in Bandung. We
shared our research results with local and central government officials, researchers and
students. The second seminar is held in the Eco Products International Fair at Jakarta
Convention Center, organized by Asian Productivity Organization. Participants from
private companies, industrial associations, non-governmental organizations, ministries,
universities attended the seminar. We discussed recent issues and concerns on
recycling with participants. We also visited 5 recycling related facilities in Indonesia
and Malaysia.
Based on the discussion of the working group, and from our findings during
site visits and seminars, we reaffirmed that it is very useful for each country to share
information and policies in the region, because we are facing similar problems and
challenges.
In the next fiscal year, we would like to continue our discussion in the working
group on environmental statistics, international recycling and other 3R related activities.
In addition, we are planning to share the information with other experts, businessmen,
policy makers and citizens. We hope this report can serve as baseline information in
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formulating policies to promote 3R especially in the Asian region.

March 31, 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface Summary i
Table of Contents iii
List of Project Members iv
Executive Summary v
CHAPTER 1. Benefits of 3R: From the Life Cycle Perspective 1
Thumrongrut Mungcharoen, Sataporn Sridowtong, Worayut Saibuatrong
CHAPTER 2. Singapore Packaging Agreement and 3R Packaging Awards 22
Thian-Guan Peck and Marcus GH Tay
CHAPTER 3. Recyclable Collection Trends and Best Practices in the Philippines 40
Lisa C. Antonio
CHAPTER 4. Informal Collectors of Recyclable Waste and Use Goods in Indonesia 71
Enri Damanhuri
CHAPTER 5. Sound Strategies to Improve the Condition of the Informal Sector in Waste 105
Management
Vella Atienza
CHAPTER 6. Industrial Standards and Roles of Stakeholders in the 3R Implementation in 143
Vietnam
Huynh Trung Hai
CHAPTER 7. Establishing Industrial Standards for Recycled Waste: The Case of Malaysia 190
Ahmad Fariz Mohamed, PhD
CHAPTER 8. Industrial Standard for Recycled Goods in Japan and South East Asian 216
Countries
Michikazu Kojima and Vella Atienza
CHAPTER 9. Design of E-waste Recycling Indicators in East Asia 235
Sungwoo Chung and Michikazu Kojima
CHAPTER 10. Utilization of Material Flow Analysis in 3R Policy in Japan 259
Atsushi Terazono
CHAPTER 11. Toward 3R-Based Waste Management: Policy Change in Japan, Malaysia and 274
the Philippines
A.A. Hezri
CHAPTER 12. Policy Challenges and Research Needs for a Sustainable Resource Circulation 291
in East and Southeast Asia
Yasuhiko Hotta
CHAPTER 13. Location of Recycling Facilities and International Trade of Recyclable Waste 309
Michikazu Kojima.

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Members of Working Group

Leader: Enri Damanhuri (Professor, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia)

Coordinator: Michikazu Kojima (Director, Environment and Natural Resource
Studies Group-Interdisciplinary Studies Center, IDE-JETRO, Japan)

Members: Lisa C. Antonio, (Executive Director, Philippine Business for Environment,
Philippines)
Thumrongrut Mungcharoen (Expert, National Metal and Materials
Technology Center, and Professor, Kasetsart University, Thailand)
Ahmad Fariz Mohamed (Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Environment
and Development (LESTARI), University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia)
Peck Thian Guan (Director, Office of Safety, Health and Environment,
National University of Singapore)
Hai Trung Huynh (Associate Professor, Institute for Environmental Science
and Technology, Vietnam)
Yasuhiko Hotta (Sub-manager, Institute for Global Environmental Studies,
Japan)
Atsushi Terazono (Chief, International Material Cycles Section, National
Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan)
Vella Atienza (Research Fellow, Environment and Natural Resource Studies
Group-Interdisciplinary Studies Center, IDE-JETRO, Japan)
Ahmad Hezri Adnan (Research Fellow, University Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Malaysia)
Sungwoo Chung (JSPS Research Fellow, IDE-JETRO, Japan)

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Executive Summary and Policy Recommendation

Summary of Papers in the Report

Chapter 1 reviews the benefits of 3R from life cycle perspectives. Although the magnitude of
benefits of 3R depends on the scenario settings, 3R can contribute to the reduction of GHG
emissions.

Chapters 2 to 6 focus on the roles of stakeholders. These chapters show the importance of
collaboration among various stakeholders and the significant roles of the government in
coordinating stakeholders’ activities. Chapter 2 shows the private sectors’ efforts under
voluntary agreement between government and private sectors in Singapore. Chapter 3 reviews
the effectiveness of collection event, which is organized by malls, non-governmental
organization and recyclers. Chapter 4 shows the flow of recyclable waste and roles of informal
sectors in the collection in Indonesia. Chapter 5 focuses on the informal waste pickers and
informal recyclers. It discusses some strategies on how this informal sector can be upgraded, in
terms of working condition and pollution control measures. Chapter 6 shows the flow of
recyclable waste in Vietnam.

Chapters 7 and 8 review the current situation and roles of industrial standard in recycling system.
Chapters 4 and 6 also point out the importance of industrial standard in the context of Indonesia
and Vietnam respectively. Limited number of industrial standard for recyclable waste, recycled
materials and recycled goods are established in Southeast Asian Countries. It is recommended
that action plan to establish industrial standard for promoting recycling should be developed in
each Southeast Asian country. Regional cooperation to harmonize the standard is also proposed
to reduce transaction cost and to avoid conflicts on the definition of waste.

Chapters 9 and 10 argue the indicators in recycling system. Chapter 9 compares the recycling
indicators in e-waste recycling system in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Chapter 10 shows the
use of material flow analysis in the formulation and evaluation of 3R policy in Japan.
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Chapter 11 compares the pathways toward 3R-based waste management in Malaysia, Japan and
the Philippines. Chapter 12 discusses the policy challenges on resource circulation faced by
Asian countries. Chapter 13 reviews the location of recycling facilities for copper, lead and
nickel containing scrap and discusses the necessity of transboundary movement of recyclable
waste.

Revised “Mapping document on 3R-related Regulations, Ministries and Programs” is attached in
the Appendix, which summarizes the legislations, ministries, and programs on 3R in the region.

Policy Recommendations

In the FY 2009, the WG focused on the implementation of the domestic 3R policies, the roles of
and coordination among stakeholders, and the importance of various standards for promoting the
recycling industry. In addition, we reaffirm the importance of 3R activities, from the review of
studies on Life Cycle Assessment on recycling. The principles on international recycling were
also discussed in the WG. Based on the results of the various studies conducted for this year and
the discussion of the WG, the following policy recommendations are proposed.

1) The promotion of participation and coordination among stakeholders
Various stakeholders, such as waste generators, collectors, recyclers, users of recycled goods,
academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and government agencies, should be
involved in the policy making process of 3R and in the implementation of the 3R policy. It is
observed that stakeholders in the upstream of waste flow, the waste generators and collectors, are
well coordinated in the 3R policy, but only few governments have dialogue with stakeholders in
the downstream such as the recyclers and users of recycled goods. Thus, it is proposed that
central and local governments should organize stakeholder’s meeting and facilitate dialogue
among stakeholders both in the upstream and downstream to find a way to promote 3R and to
encourage recycling industries.

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2) The integration of the informal sector in the waste management system
Informal sector takes important role in recycling especially in developing Asian countries.
However, despite their significant contribution in the reduction of waste especially in the urban
cities, they have continued to work in an unsafe working condition and have remained in poverty.
Also, due to lack of technical skills and financial capacity to invest for improved technology
their activities often cause air, water and other waste related pollution. Hence, it is recommended
that informal sector should be integrated in the 3R system and to improve their condition by
forming them into organizations and or cooperatives and by providing legal, technical and
financial support to upgrade their recycling activities.

3) The creation of economic incentives such as tax reduction and low interest loan
To encourage participation of the community in the implementation of the 3R programs and to
promote the recycling industries, government should introduce tax reduction, low interest loan
and other economic incentives for 3R activities.

4) The development of industrial standards of recyclable wastes and goods
Industrial standards for recyclable waste, intermediate material and recycled goods should be
developed in each country, to promote consumption of recycled goods instead of natural
resources. The standards should also be harmonized among countries, to boost international
recycling especially in the Asian regions.

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CHAPTER 1

Benefits of 3R: From a Life Cycle Perspective

Thumrongrut Mungcharoena,b*, Sataporn Sridowtonga, and Worayut Saibuatronga
a Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
b National Metal and Materials Technology Center, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
*E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

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Abstract

Depletion of mineral resources such as petroleum, aluminum and steel is one of the major
problems in the world. 3R measures including resource recycling are very important practices for
community and industrial activities. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a scientific-based tool and
can be used for quantitative assessment or for comparison of the environmental burdens for
processes, products and 3R system by considering the whole life cycle perspective. The objective
of this study is to quantitatively illustrate the benefits of 3R, especially recycling (plastic, paper,
glass and metal) by using LCA methodology. Related publications and database in several LCA
software programs were reviewed and calculated. The results of the study clearly show that 3R
measures including resource recycling had a net gain on environmental benefits. In almost all
cases, they perform better than the end-of-pipe treatment methods such as landfill and
incineration in terms of life cycle reduction of greenhouse gas emission, energy consumption,
and other environmental impacts.

1. Introduction

In waste management, the critical environmental impact issues do not only refers to the
safe treatment and disposal of wastes but also the system management of greenhouse gas (GHG)
generation [1]. 3R measures are effective solutions for waste generation and depletion of natural
resources caused by the mass production and mass consumption of the present highly civilized
social system. The recycling normally offers immense potential to enhance resource
management and reduce waste disposal. Resource recycling helps to prolong the lifespan of
landfills and reduce the need for costly incineration. It also slows down natural resource
depletion to ensure sustainable development of resource-intensive industries. The use of
recycled materials as a substitute for raw materials also drives down the latter’s costs [2].
Among 3R, reduce and reuse measures are obviously beneficial in all environmental aspects.
However, recycling operations generally required additional processes which need more energy
and/or resources before those recycled materials/products can be used again. In order to illustrate
whether recycling is a good choice or not, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will be used to quantify
the environmental burdens generated for the entire life cycle of the recycling system [3]. Various
recent LCA studies on the benefits of recycling and recovered materials are reviewed. Several
LCA software programs, namely SimaPro, GaBi, and JEMAI-LCA Pro, are also used for this
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