Table 4-4-1 Examples of 3R initiatives in Asian countries

Bangladesh	Community-based composting (operated by Waste Concern (an NGO)) Project results
-Employment creation (predicted to be able to create jobs for 90,000 people across the nation)
-Involvement of informal workers in the compost production process
China	Promotion of a sound material-cycle economy as a priority issue for the government
Integrated activities directed towards the realization of a sound material-cycle economy in the new five-year social-economic development plan at national and local government levels.
Circular economy law (under consideration)
Stricter management of end-of-life electrical and electronic appliances (establishment of laws, regulations, policies, etc.)
Regulations to prevent pollution caused by home and information appliances (March 2007)
National regulations regarding the management of electrical and electronic appliances in China (draft)
Environmental industrial park policy
Established about 20 pilot eco-industrial parks. Designated eight regions as pilot regions for establishing sound material-cycle economies at the regional level.
India	Formulation of national environmental policy (2006)
Draft regulations on entities engaged in recycling, reprocessing and hazardous waste handling
Environmental (Protection) Law (1986)
Development of plastic recycling
Amount recycled: 1.7 million tons (2004-2005)
Indonesia	National action plan (2008-2015)
Establishment of regulations: Plans to institute new regulations over the next two years after establishing the municipal waste management law.
Activities among SMEs
Of the total amount of hazardous waste produced by industry, 35% was reused or recycled.
There are excellent practices in place, such as clean production in the tofu manufacturing industry (reuse, waste/residue recycling).
Composting subsidy program
The composting/recycling rate increased by 2% as a result of composting subsidies allocated to 19 cities.
Under this program, 217 tons of compost was produced per day, exceeding the target of 200 tons.
Malaysia	National recycling program (2000)
Long-term goals to make recycling common practice
National strategic plan for solid waste management (2005)
Comprehensive efforts to promote the reduction, reuse, and collection of solid waste
Establishment of a master plan to minimize national waste (2006)
Philippines	National-level legislation: National 3R policies
Set the goal of achieving a waste conversion rate of at least 25% by 2006.
Backyard composting and organic waste disposal
Of the total amount of waste available for composting, 25% was collected and recycled as organic fertilizer.
Initiative to improve the collection and recycling rates of waste lead-acid batteries
Set the goal of collecting 3,600 tons of waste lead-acid batteries annually (amount collected in 2004: 398 tons).
South Korea	Food waste minimization and recycling
Improvement in the recycling rate: 2.1% (1995), 41.1% (2000), 93.8% (2005)
Extended the useful life of final waste disposal sites from 7 to 11 years.
Charge system based on the amount of waste produced
The amount of solid waste produced in urban areas was reduced by 0.62% in the period between 1994 and 2004.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
Improvement in the recycling rate for EPR items (end-of-life electrical and electronic appliances and end-of-life vehicles)
Singapore	Recycling
The recycling rate in 2006 was 51%, up 2% from 2005.
The recycling of construction and demolition waste, wood waste and plastic waste is being promoted.
National recycling program
-Launched a household recycling program in 2001.
-Installed collection boxes for recyclable items in public places.
-Promotes the recycling of construction and demolition waste (achieved a recycling rate of over 90%)
Disposes of 90% of burnable waste at four incineration facilities.
Disposes of 10% of non-burnable waste at an off-shore sanitary landfill site.
Thailand	Program to collect used products
In 2005, 85% of all waste lead-acid batteries were collected.
A program to collect fluorescent lamps was carried out in cooperation with the Japanese government.
Initiative to create a recycling-oriented society
Over 200 communities practice 3R, with some municipalities having successfully achieved a 30-50% reduction in the amount of waste produced.
Industrial waste exchange program
Over 450 industrial sectors are registered members (as of 2005).
Vietnam	3R-related policies and legislation
2005 Environmental Protection Law: 14 provisions were added in order to promote 3R and other related activities.
3R national strategy
3R targets through 2020:
Thirty percent of the total waste collected was recycled.
Thirty percent of household waste and 70% of all commercial waste was sorted by source.
Has identified a need to improve the recycling system in rural villages dependent on the handicraft industry

Source: Created by the Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, based on materials provided at the Senior Officials' Meeting on the 3R Initiative in October 2007.