1. Background

○ The proposed revision aims to enact and enforce the Products Subject to Eco-Label and Certification Standards regarding their designation and abolition, and the certification standards for the enforcement of the related eco-label certification system.

* (Grounds) Article 17 (3) of the Environmental Technology and Industry Support Act

○ The proposed notice is designed to improve the certification standards so that eco-labels are in line with the implementation of government policy tasks, the industrial conditions of each product group, and environmental policies so as to induce green production and consumption activities.

<Eco-Label Certification System>

‧ (Overview) Certification is granted when the “environmental performance of the product” is improved compared to other products destined for the same usage.

‧ (Target items) 158 product groups (Certification is granted to 18,887 products from 4,905 companies as of June 30.)

‧ (Certification standards) Quality standards, including the environmental standards and performance throughout the entire process of manufacturing, consumption, and disposal of hazardous substances, etc.

3. Key details of the amendment

◈ New addition or consolidation of product groups, and revision of the standards to implement government policy tasks or to reflect industry conditions.

- Addition of 6 new items including dehumidifiers, electric ranges, etc.; abolition of 6 items including thermostats for heating, mobile phones, etc.; consolidation of 4 items including copiers, printers, fax machines, aquaculture ponds, etc.; and revision of 24 items including biodegradable resin products, etc.

□ (Product groups) Product groups are improved by continuously increasing the number of product groups closely related to daily life, while consolidating or abolishing ineffective items such as intermediate goods (16 groups, Appendix 1 and Appendix 2).

○ (Newly added) 6 product groups closely related to daily life, including dehumidifiers and electric ranges (70 → 76 groups).

※ Government policy tasks (30 new product groups to be added by 2026): 6 groups in 2022-2023; 6 groups in 2024; 18 groups in 2025-2026.

○ (Abolished) 6 product groups, including thermostats for heating (intermediate materials), mobile phones and gas cabinet heaters (loss of marketability), and preservative wood for floor decks (duplication with other laws).

※ 25 product groups are scheduled to be abolished by 2026, reflecting the conformity assessment recommendation (KIPO) presented in 2022 (4 groups already abolished).

○ (Consolidation) Photocopiers, printers, fax machines → photocopiers (3 similar product groups consolidated into 1 group), aquaculture floats → included in biodegradable resin (4 → 2 groups).

※ 36 similar product groups, including 12 groups whose conformity will be assessed, out of 158 product groups to be consolidated gradually by 2027. 

□ (Certification standards) To enhance the effectiveness of environmental labels by rationally adjusting the certification standards in line with industry conditions and government policy objectives (24 groups, Appendix 1 and Appendix 2).

○ (Regulatory improvement) 15 unreasonable standards are to be improved in view of the conditions for the production and consumption of environmentally-friendly products.

- (Reflecting industry conditions) 7 product groups, including biodegradable resin products (composting degradation moratorium, newly established marine conditions), and detergents (application of “average recycling” to composite packaging materials).

- (Expanded certification scope) 5 product groups, including paper products (addition of non-wood recycled raw materials)*, quantity-based paid garbage bags (addition of biodegradable resin), packaging materials (addition of paper materials).

* This reflects the points made by Assemblyman Park Dae-soo during the National Assembly Audit in 2023.

- (Quality standards switched) 3 product groups, including toilet paper (entirety, including length and width), office paper (number of sheets for copy paper), and oil products (residual carbon, ash content standards).

※ This reflects the suggested abolition of quality standards unrelated to the environment (2022 conformity assessment by KIPO), which will be replaced with KS standards, etc. for a total of 20 product groups with internally managed quality criteria.

○ (Improvement of Environmental Performance) 9 Standards will be improved to meet government policies concerning environment & health, resource recycling, etc.

- (Environment & Health) 3 product groups, including gas boilers* (NOx 19.84 → 18 ppm or less), artificial turf** (PAHs 200 → 10 or less), and inter-floor noise prevention materials (new anti-floor impact noise insulation standards).

* Reflecting the revisions made to the certification standards for household boilers under the Special Act on the Improvement of Air Quality in Air Quality Control Zones.

** Reflection of the revisions to the KS standards.

- (Resource recycling) 6 product groups, including notebook computers* (new standards provided for those composed of 10% or more of waste synthetic resin), cable wire (new standards provided for recycled insulation materials), and industrial storage batteries** (new standards provided for long life).

* Implementation tasks for the removal of plastics products for the entire life-cycle (expanding the scope of certification for environmental labels for items using recycled raw materials).

** Government policy tasks (raising the environmental performance standards for all products by 30% by 2026): 73% in 2023, 80% in 2024, and 100% in 2026.

○ (Others) Improvement of 2 standards to clarify interpretation, including error corrections.

- 6 product groups, including textile knitted fabrics (food-grade raw material standards deleted), shampoos, conditioners, body soaps (excluding disposable products).

□ (Addenda) Effective date and transitional provisions.

○ (Enforcement date) Enforced from the date of promulgation.

○ (Transitional measures) The validity of products certified before the enforcement of the amended Notice will be recognized, while the standards in place before issuance of the Notice may be applied to products certified before the enforcement of the amended Notice.