재활용품 분리배출에서 무색페트병의 별도배출을 위한 개선방안

Among plastic packaging materials, colorless pet bottles have high added value as recyclable resources. Still, most ofthem are currently recycled as medium and low-grade materials due to the mixing of other items and foreign substancesin the discharge stage. The Ministry of Environment implemented a pilot project to separate and discharge only colorlessPET bottles from the existing recycling system to increase the recycling quality of colorless bottles. To analyze the resultsof the pilot project, step-by-step monitoring was carried out. This study analyzed the performance and expected effectsof separate discharge for colorless pet bottles according to population indicators, economic indicators, and environmentalindicators. As a result of this analysis, problems, such as not removing labels and reducing discharge, were identified.
It was deemed necessary to take measures to address these problems by implementing public relations for residents andintroducing separate discharge assistants. In the screening phase, the quality level of colorless pet bottle compressedproducts increased due to decreased imports of residues and non-target materials at the pilot project. In the recycling phase,we expected higher prices for colorless pet bottles and increased recycling quality. However, the effect of recyclingcompanies’ separate process lines was insignificant due to the low reliability of pet bottle selection. If these problemsare resolved, economic benefits from increased material recycling through high-quality raw material recycling and higherunit prices are expected.