Solid waste management in Cambodia is governed by the Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management and the Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management, which were enacted in 1999 and 2015, respectively. These decrees outline the responsibilities for waste management, including collection and recycling, which primarily lie with the provincial and city authorities. To specifically address plastic waste, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) established the Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags in 2017 which imposes a levy on plastic bags and implemented the 4R (refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach since 2019. However, there is currently no regulation in Cambodia which would mandate that product manufacturers, importers, and sellers take responsibility for the proper management of waste generated by their products.
Table 1. Summary of policies, plans, and regulations related to EPR for packaging in Cambodia.
Policies, Plans, and Regulations | Promulgation Date | Status |
Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management | 27 April 1999 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management | 27 August 2015 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags | 10 October 2017 | In effect |
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) initiated the development of EPR policies in 2021, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia under the ‘Combatting Marine Plastic Litter in Cambodia’ project. One of the outputs from this initiative was the launch of the National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan in June 2021, identifying the establishment of EPR schemes and plastic production standards as one of the priority areas for achieving a circular economy. The plan comprises of three actions, each with a different timeline spanning from 2020 to 2034:
drafting and enacting regulations on EPR;
creating take-back programmes operated by or on behalf of manufacturers; and
developing and implementing the production standard of plastics products to increase recyclability of plastic products.
In addition to the Action Plan, the project also delivered an EPR Roadmap for Cambodia in the same year, outlining the objectives, actors, and instruments of EPR, while proposing a transition roadmap from voluntary to mandatory EPR frameworks in Cambodia. The following year, with support from the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, the RGC developed Cambodia’s Roadmap for Sustainable Consumption and Production for 2022-2025. The roadmap lays out priority strategies and actions to strengthen the sustainability of Cambodia’s economic and social development, endorsing the implementation of EPR schemes to support solid waste reduction and management efforts.
Against this backdrop, Cambodia is currently in the process of developing a new legal framework to integrate an EPR system into its waste management system. According to a working paper by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2022, the MoE was reviewing a Sub-Decree on Plastic Management, intended to lay out measures aimed at managing and reducing the use of plastic products, including EPR, green procurement, and eco-labelling initiatives.
Solid waste management in Cambodia is governed by the Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management and the Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management, which were enacted in 1999 and 2015, respectively. These decrees outline the responsibilities for waste management, including collection and recycling, which primarily lie with the provincial and city authorities. To specifically address plastic waste, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) established the Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags in 2017 which imposes a levy on plastic bags and implemented the 4R (refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach since 2019. However, there is currently no regulation in Cambodia which would mandate that product manufacturers, importers, and sellers take responsibility for the proper management of waste generated by their products.
Table 1. Summary of policies, plans, and regulations related to EPR for packaging in Cambodia.
Policies, Plans, and Regulations | Promulgation Date | Status |
Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management | 27 April 1999 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management | 27 August 2015 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags | 10 October 2017 | In effect |
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) initiated the development of EPR policies in 2021, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia under the ‘Combatting Marine Plastic Litter in Cambodia’ project. One of the outputs from this initiative was the launch of the National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan in June 2021, identifying the establishment of EPR schemes and plastic production standards as one of the priority areas for achieving a circular economy. The plan comprises of three actions, each with a different timeline spanning from 2020 to 2034:
drafting and enacting regulations on EPR;
creating take-back programmes operated by or on behalf of manufacturers; and
developing and implementing the production standard of plastics products to increase recyclability of plastic products.
In addition to the Action Plan, the project also delivered an EPR Roadmap for Cambodia in the same year, outlining the objectives, actors, and instruments of EPR, while proposing a transition roadmap from voluntary to mandatory EPR frameworks in Cambodia. The following year, with support from the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, the RGC developed Cambodia’s Roadmap for Sustainable Consumption and Production for 2022-2025. The roadmap lays out priority strategies and actions to strengthen the sustainability of Cambodia’s economic and social development, endorsing the implementation of EPR schemes to support solid waste reduction and management efforts.
Against this backdrop, Cambodia is currently in the process of developing a new legal framework to integrate an EPR system into its waste management system. According to a working paper by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2022, the MoE was reviewing a Sub-Decree on Plastic Management, intended to lay out measures aimed at managing and reducing the use of plastic products, including EPR, green procurement, and eco-labelling initiatives.
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