Laws and Regulations

National Laws and Regulation

A.  Regulation

Cambodia has established several policies and regulations to address solid waste management. The legal frameworks, listed below in chronological order, demonstrate the progression of these efforts:

1. Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management (1996)

   This law states that the prevention and reduction of environmental hazards, including from waste, shall be controlled by a sub-decree issued by the Ministry of Environment (Article 13).

2. Sub-decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management (1999)

   The goal of this sub-decree is to protect human health and biodiversity by targeting the management, including disposal, storage, collection, transport, recycling, and dumping, of two kinds of solid waste:

   a. Household waste. Public disposal of such waste is highly restricted unless done with permission from the authorities (Article 7). Household waste may be exported with approval from the relevant ministries. However, the import of waste is forbidden (Article 9 and 10).

   b. Hazardous waste. Disposing of such waste in public sites is prohibited (Article 15). It should be transported and disposed of separately from household waste. Exporting hazardous waste is allowed with the approval of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Trade, and importing countries (Article 20), whereas importing hazardous waste is restricted (Article 21). Plastic waste from production processes is considered hazardous waste.

3. Inter-Ministerial Declaration of Ministry of Interior-Ministry of Environment on Waste and Solid Waste Management in Province/Municipalities of Cambodia No. 80 (2003)

   This declaration aims to promote the responsibilities of local governments at the provincial and municipal levels in establishing efficient solid waste management to protect public health, the environment, and biodiversity (Article 1). It covers all activities related to waste management, including collection, storage, transportation, recycling, and disposal.

4. Sub-decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management (2015)

   The general aim of this regulation is to improve garbage and solid waste management in the downtowns of Cambodia (Article 1). Several institutions are involved: Ministry of Environment; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Economy and Finance; provincial administrations; capital and provincial departments of environment; and capital, municipal, district, and commune administrations (Article 5–14).

   In managing waste, producers of garbage and solid waste have a number of responsibilities: they should separate and wrap their waste to prevent leakage (Articles 15–16) and maintain wrapped waste inside housing areas before they are disposed by the administration (Article 17). Additionally, they should also bear the fees for cleaning, collecting, and transporting the waste (Article 18). These articles can be regarded as one of the initial provisions for extended producer responsibility in Cambodia. At a higher level, capital, municipal, and district administrations should provide public garbage bins (Article 22); determine places to temporarily store wastes (Article 24); and provide cleaning, collecting, and transporting services (Article 30). Penalties are imposed against violators of the regulation (Chapter 7).

5. Sub-decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags (2017)

   This regulation aims to reduce plastic use es to enhance the quality of public health, the environment, and the landscape.

6. Code on Environment and Natural Resources (2023)

   Promulgated in 2023, this code serves as a revision to preceding regulations regarding environmental protection and natural resources management, repealing the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management (1996). It consists of twelve books with a total of 865 articles on various topics such as the management of protected areas and natural resources, environmental assessment, education, etc. Notable provisions for waste management include a dedicated section on sustainable consumption and production which imposes the relevant ministry to define measures on voluntary or mandatory producer responsibility schemes for generated waste. Additionally, the code provides a comprehensive set of articles governing solid waste management including the management of urban waste, plastic waste, and industrial waste.

B.   Policy

In addition to regulations in effect, the Government of Cambodia also issued supporting guidelines such as:

1. Environmental Guidelines on Solid Waste Management in Kingdom of Cambodia (2006)

   This guideline consists of five main topics: solid waste management plan, landfill management, composting regulation, medical waste management, and environmental education guideline. The solid waste management plan must be renewed every 5 years and include waste handling, storage, transportation, and disposal mechanisms. Landfills should be properly managed based on environmentally sound management to minimise harm to human, nature, and animal health. The composting ordinance is to enhance environmental protection by processing bio waste into compost to reduce the amount of landfill leachate and biogas. The guideline on medical waste management contains regulations to manage medical waste in a proper and safe technique to maintain public health, environmental quality, and conservation of biological species. Lastly, environmental education guidelines aim to make citizens more aware of environmental and natural resources protection and involve them in adopting tangible actions in their daily lives.

2. Technical Guidelines on Healthcare Waste Management (2011)

   This document consists of technical procedures for healthcare waste management, which includes determining factors for installing specific healthcare waste management and deciding criteria for proper designs of facilities.

Updated as of 10 January 2025.