A Study on Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility Approach on Municipal Waste Management Policy in Japan

Waste is generated at various stages of human activities. The Japanese government has been making it as a major policy to promote a recycling-based society, fully utilize materials and increase waste recovery. The 2000 Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-Based Society, and related recycling regulations have strengthened the regulatory framework for waste management. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported, “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy under which producers take significant responsibility in the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.” The principle of EPR has been incorporated into the national legislation on containers and packaging and on some appliances.The purpose of this study is to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of implementation of these regulations, particularly in the case of containers and packaging, household appliances, personal computers and end-of-life vehicles.