Department of Waste and Resource Management, Rostock University, Rostock, Germany.
Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Zanjan University, Iran.
Waste Manag Res. 2021 Oct;39(10):1291-1301. doi: 10.1177/0734242X211040327. Epub 2021 Aug 19.
A powerful legal tool in evolving solid waste management (SWM) systems is extended producer responsibility (EPR). It is a mechanism that shifts the responsibility of a product to manufacturers/importers at the 'end-of-life' stage. Yet, implementation of the EPR concept has faced difficulties in developing countries. In Iran, as one such country, the principle of EPR system was issued in executive regulation of SWM in 2005, however, so far, it has been limited to a voluntary scheme. The problem merits further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the obstacles in the path of developing EPR system for product packaging. The research examines the current SWM systems in four functional classified frameworks: legal, institutional, financial and technical. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the system are elaborated through semi-structured interviews with a senior executive in the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Then, viable methods to increase resource efficiency and sustainable waste treatment are suggested. The change in the financing mechanism in the Budget Law 2020 forces the manufacturers/importers of products containing recyclable components to pay the revenue from one in 1000 products to MoI for developing recycling facilities and incinerators through partnerships with the private sector. This new strategy would promote proper management of product packaging, create more jobs and a market for international cooperation. However, poor source-separation of wet/dry waste, informal sector activities, exclusive focus on the economic aspect of waste management, lack of expertise and public awareness campaigns are the barriers in this regard.
在不断发展的固体废物管理 (SWM) 系统中，一个强有力的法律工具是生产者延伸责任 (EPR)。这是一种将产品责任转移到制造商/进口商在“生命周期结束”阶段的机制。然而，在发展中国家，EPR 概念的实施遇到了困难。在伊朗等国家，EPR 系统的原则已于 2005 年在 SWM 的行政条例中发布，但迄今为止，它仅限于自愿计划。这个问题值得进一步调查。因此，本研究旨在阐明产品包装 EPR 系统发展道路上的障碍。该研究通过对内政部 (MoI) 高级管理人员的半结构化访谈，考察了四个功能分类框架中的当前 SWM 系统：法律、制度、财务和技术。通过对 MoI 高级管理人员的半结构化访谈，阐述了系统的优势、劣势、机会和威胁。然后，提出了提高资源效率和可持续废物处理的可行方法。2020 年预算法中融资机制的变化迫使含有可回收成分的产品的制造商/进口商向 MoI 支付从每 1000 个产品中收取的 1%的收入，用于通过与私营部门建立伙伴关系来开发回收设施和焚烧炉。这项新战略将促进产品包装的妥善管理，创造更多的就业机会和国际合作市场。然而，干湿废物分类不佳、非正规部门活动、对废物管理经济方面的过分关注、缺乏专业知识和公众宣传活动是这方面的障碍。
