Effect analysis on waste recycling by introducing a new policy, "Environmental Assessment of Recycling," for establishment of the ESG management system in the Republic of Korea.

The article focuses on Korea’s Environmental Assessment of Recycling (EAR), a regulatory system introduced to enhance the Wastes Control Act and promote a circular economy by enabling approval of new recycling technologies not yet defined in existing waste codes. EAR allows assessment institutes to evaluate the environmental and technical aspects of novel recycling methods, with final approval granted by a governmental research institute, facilitating legal recycling of diverse waste types and supporting corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management. Since its implementation six years ago, amendments have increased the number of assessment institutes from one to three, tripled approval cases, and generated estimated company profits of approximately 55 million USD, notably including a case where 17 companies were approved to recycle steel codes from waste tires for iron smelting. The study identifies ongoing challenges such as the need for postmanagement systems for noncontact media recycling and proposes fast-track approval processes to further improve EAR’s efficiency and effectiveness.