This regulation aims to reduce environmental pollution and promote the circular use of resources through strict packaging waste management. All relevant parties, including the government, businesses, sales points, and consumers, must fulfill their respective responsibilities and obligations to jointly promote the effective management and recycling of packaging waste.

I. Purpose and Scope

1. Purpose:

- Ensure that packaging meets environmental standards.

- Reduce the generation of packaging waste, promote reuse, recycling, and energy recovery.

- Prevent direct or indirect harm to the environment caused by packaging waste.

- Establish technical and administrative standards for the collection, transportation, separation, and recycling of packaging waste.

2. Scope:

- Applies to all packaging and its waste placed on the market.

- Excludes defective products, scrap, and packaging not placed on the market.

II. Definitions

- Packaging:

Any material used for the transport, protection, storage, and sale of products.

- Packaging Waste:

Packaging materials that meet the definition of waste.

- Packaging Waste Processing Facilities:

Facilities that separate, recycle, or recover energy from packaging waste.

- Packaging Waste Collection Points:

Locations where consumers can easily see and sort packaging waste for disposal.

III. General Principles

1. Prevention Principle:

Prioritize reducing the generation of packaging waste and encourage reuse and recycling.

2. Prohibition of Direct Discharge:

Prohibit the direct discharge of packaging waste into the environment or landfills.

3. Separate Collection:

Packaging waste must be collected separately at the source.

4. Economic Responsibility:

The environmental damage costs of packaging waste shall be borne by the responsible parties.

IV. Responsibilities and Obligations

1. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization:

  - Develop strategies and policies for packaging waste management.

  - Authorize and supervise relevant organizations.

  - Organize meetings of the Packaging Committee.

  - Promote the use of recycled products.

2. Responsibilities of Local Governments:

  - Responsible for the separate collection and transportation of packaging waste.

  - Develop and implement packaging waste management plans.

  - Provide collection equipment and facilities.

3. Obligations of Packaging Producers:

  - Design and produce packaging that is easy to recycle and reuse.

  - Submit annual reports on packaging usage through the Packaging Information System.

4. Obligations of Sales Points:

  - Set up packaging waste collection points.

  - Reduce the use of plastic bags and provide them free of charge.

V. Production and Placement of Packaging

1. Basic Requirements:

  - Packaging must be designed for easy recycling and reuse.

  - The production and placement of non-recyclable packaging are prohibited.

2. Heavy Metal Concentrations:

  - The total concentration of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium in packaging must not exceed 100 ppm.

3. Packaging Labeling:

  - Packaging materials should be labeled during production to facilitate recycling and consumer identification.

VI. Recycling/Reuse Targets

1. Annual Targets:

  - Recycling and reuse targets for different materials increase annually.

  - For example, the recycling target for glass, plastic, metal, and cardboard in 2017 was 52%.

2. Achieving Targets:

  - Producers can achieve recycling targets through deposit systems or authorized organizations.

  - If targets are not met, the shortfall must be made up in the following year.

VII. Authorized Organizations

1. Authorization Conditions:

  - Authorized organizations must represent at least 5% of the market for a specific packaging material.

  - They must comply with relevant regulations and be subject to supervision.

2. Revocation of Authorization:

  - Authorization will be revoked for organizations that fail to meet recycling targets or fulfill their obligations.

VIII. Packaging Waste Collection System

1. Collection Equipment:

  - Packaging waste collection equipment should be blue, while glass collection equipment can be green or white.

2. Local Government Collection System:

  - Local governments must set up collection equipment based on population density.

  - Collection vehicles must be equipped with tracking systems.

IX. Environmental Permits

1. Permit Requirements:

  - Packaging waste processing facilities must obtain environmental permits.

  - Facilities must comply with environmental standards and report their operations regularly.

X. Other Provisions

1. Packaging Committee:

  - A committee organized by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to evaluate and supervise the implementation of packaging waste management.

2. Education and Awareness:

  - Local governments, businesses, and sales points must conduct educational campaigns on the separate collection and recycling of packaging waste.

3. Administrative Sanctions:

  - Violations of this regulation will be penalized according to relevant laws.

XI. Transitional Provisions

1. Existing Permits:

  - Facilities that obtained environmental permits before the enactment of this regulation may continue to operate until their permits expire.

2. Transition Period:

  - Local governments must adjust their packaging waste management plans within a specified period to comply with this regulation.

XII. Effective Date and Implementation

 - This regulation came into effect on January 1, 2017, and is enforced by the Minister of Environment and Urbanization.

Annexes

1. Examples of Packaging Definitions:

Details which products are considered packaging and which are not.

2. Packaging Labeling System:

Lists the labeling codes and abbreviations for different packaging materials.

3. Recycling/Reuse Target Calculation Formula:

Explains how to calculate recycling and reuse rates.