1. Policy implications for proper WEEE management
via urban mining industry with South Korea case
Kikwang Song,
MA candidate in Globalisation, Business and Development,
Institute of Development Studies
18 June 2018
Engaging, Learning, Transforming

2. Outline Urban mining industry
Constraints for promoting urban mining industry
Policy implications
Future research opportunities

3. Urban mining
The process of reclaiming resources from products, buildings, and waste
The process of reclaiming rare metal from WEEE

5. Why urban mining for WEEE management?
A promising practice of circular economy
A shift of perspective on WEEE as resources
A vehicle to formalise waste collection

6. Increasing generation of WEEE High dependency of resource imports
Why South Korea?
Increasing generation of WEEE
High dependency of resource imports
Growing substitution through urban mining industry
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)
27 products in EPR

7. Constraints
Regulatory
Technological
Financial
Supply chain

8. Regulatory constraints
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme in 2002
[Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles] in 2007
[Act on Circular Usage of Resource] in 2018
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)
27 products in EPR

9. Obscure position of urban mining industry
Manufacturing or recycling industry?
Insufficient supports from public sector
Biased to manufacturing industry
The need for advanced EPR scheme
The scheme should include retailers
Categorised in waste management not in manufacturing

10. Technological constraints
Lower level of technologies than Japan, Higher level of wage than China
Lower rate of rare metal recycling at 15%
Public investment in R&D sector
To increase the rate of recovery of lithium
To increase the purity of rare metal up to %
To manage huge disposal of latest products
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

11. Technological constraints
Conservative investment culture compared to other countries
Biased to improvement of existing products
Risks for technology leakages
Tech transfer and commercialisation
Promotion of tech transfer from public sector to SMEs
Promotion of R&D transactions in private sector
Support for commercialisation
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

12. Financial constraints
Abundance of SMEs
Approximately 53% of 920 enterprises has less than 10 employees
Loans from the government
Priority biased to manufacturing and IT industries
Loans from commercial banks
82% of companies prefers funds from commercial institute
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

13. Supply chain constraints
WEEE in 2016: 13.1kg/person and 665kt in total
The quantity of WEEE collected and after pre-processing
The rate of WEEE recycling in 2016
Large equipments: 30.1%
Telecommunication and office equipments: 19.2%
Middle size equipments: 42.4%
Small equipments: 20.4%
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

14. Free take-back scheme by local governments since 2014
242,000 units in September 2014 → 551,000 units in September 2015
Highly competitive annual biding for WEEE
Termination of Import quota tariffs on PCBs since 2012
The lack of advanced technologies for pre-process
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

15. Regulatory constraints
Legislation of EPR scheme
Gradual advance of EPR scheme
Urban mining = manufacturing
Balanced restriction for influx and outflow of WEEE
Technological constraints
Investment on R&D
Communication with private sector
Consideration to buy existing technologies
Dissemination of latest tech information
Financial constraints
Prioritisation of industry
Reducing paperwork
Differentiated approaches to SMEs
Less strict eligibility
Supply chain constraints
Statistical data development
Free tack back scheme
Illegal trans-boundary influx of WEEE
Nudging consumers
Policy
Implications
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

16. Future research opportunities
The absence of an independent data for urban mining
Data for trans-boundary movement of WEEE
More broad application of Material Flow Analysis
Connection with social entrepreneurship
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)

17. Thank you
Kikwang Song,
MA candidate in Globalisation, Business and Development,
Institute of Development Studies
18 June 2018