South Korea to Tighten Waste Import Inspections from Japan

The South Korean government recently announced that it would enhance environmental and health safety inspections for battery, tire and plastic waste imported from Japan for recycling purposes.

The country’s Ministry of Environment said the government will take additional environmental and health safety measures for large volume imports of waste, noting waste batteries, tires and plastics will come under stricter inspections, The Korea Bizwire reports.

The ministry’s latest decision targets Japan due to public concern about radioactive contamination from the Fukushima nuclear power complex destroyed by a tsunami in 2011.

The Korea Bizwire has more:

South Korea will strengthen its environmental and health safety inspections for battery, tire and plastic waste imported from Japan, the government said Friday.

The Ministry of Environment said it will beef up radioactive and heavy metals tests on Japanese waste batteries, tires and plastics being imported into South Korea for the purpose of recycling.

The move follows the same ministry’s decision Aug. 8 to strengthen inspections of Japanese coal ash imports and is seen as part of Seoul’s responses to Tokyo’s moves to restrict South Korea-bound exports of vital industrial materials over the issue of compensating Korean victims of wartime forced labor.

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