EaP GREEN: Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Principle in the Republic of Belarus
1. Irina Komosko
Head of Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment of the Republic of Belarus
Implementation of Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR) Principle in the
Republic of Belarus
2. Legal requirements
Article 20 of Waste Treatment Law of the Republic of Belarus of 20
July 2007
Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 313 of 11 July
2012 on Some Issues of Consumption Waste Treatment
Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus
No.708 of 31 July 2012 on Measures to Implement Decree of the
President of the Republic of Belarus No. 313 of 11 July 2012 (alongside
the Regulation on the Coordination of Activities in the Area of Handling
Secondary Material Resources)
3. Mechanism for implementation of Extended
Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements
The duty to ensure collection, treatment and/or use of waste packaging is deemed
to be fulfilled by a producer or supplier if it has complied with one of the following
conditions during the reporting period (quarter) concerned:
а) Using its own waste collection system, it ensured the collection, treatment
and/or reuse of:
at least 10% of waste of the total amount of products on the List produced, imported
and/or sold by the producer or supplier in the territory of the Republic of Belarus
at least 30% of waste of the total amount of plastic tableware or
kitchenware, tyres, rubber bags, oils, plastic or glass packaging, paper- or cardboard-
based packaging produced, imported and/or sold by the producer or supplier in the
territory of the Republic of Belarus
b) A fee has been transferred to the operator’s current account based on the
amount of products on the List produced, imported and/or sold by the producer
or supplier in the territory of the Republic of Belarus as well as plastic or glass
packaging, paper- or cardboard-based packaging of imported consumer goods.
4. List of products covered by EPR
Lubricating oils and other oils
Plastic items
Tyres and inner rubber tubes
Cardboard boxes, crates, boxes, cardboard and paper bags
Bottles, flasks, pitchers, pots, jars, vials, and other glass containers
Household appliances, cameras and video cameras (19 items)
Printers, copiers, computers, monitors, projectors, receiving equipment for TV
broadcasting
Gas discharge lamps, ultraviolet and infrared lamps, arc lamps
Primary batteries
Medical and veterinary thermometers
5. Own system for collection of waste
products and packaging
Itmustensurecompliancewithtwoconditionswhichconstituteacompletechainof
actionsfromcollectiontouseortreatmentofwaste:
Collectionofconsumptionwasteanditsseparationbyproducersandsuppliers
individually
Treatmentand/oruseofcollectedwasteproductsandwastepackaging
individuallyorbyinvolvingotherpersons
Thelistofallwasteprocessingfacilitiesispubliclyavailableandhasbeenpostedon
theweb-siteoftheMinistryofNaturalResourcesandEnvironmentoftheRepublic
ofBelarus(www.minpriroda.gov.by)
6. Operator
Specifically authorised non-profit state organisation in the area of secondary
material resources management
ensures organisation of collection, treatment and/or reuse of waste products and
packaging
enters into agreements with producers and suppliers on the organisation of
collection, treatment, and/or reuse of waste products and packaging
keeps records for fees assessed, paid, and received from producers and suppliers
monitors:
amounts of generated, collected, treated, and reused waste products and packaging
fulfillment by producers and suppliers of their duty to ensure collection, treatment,
and/or reuse of waste products and packaging
costs related to collection, treatment, and/or reuse of waste products and packaging and
prices of secondary material resources.
7. Fee and compensation amounts
Fees are set excluding the value-added tax:
In Belorussian rubles (amended in June 2013):
Plastic packaging (about EUR 36 per tonne), paper, cardboard packaging
(about EUR 10.3 per tonne or EUR 2.9 per thousand m2), glass packaging
(about EUR33 per tonne or EUR 0.026 per conventional litre)
As a percentage of product value:
0.3% of value of household, office, or other equipment; 1.5% of value of
thermometers, batteries, gas discharge lamps, arc lamps, ultraviolet and
infrared lamps, tyres); and 3% for lubricating and other oils.
If entrepreneurs collect, treat, and/or reuse secondary resources
individually, compensation for each product category is envisaged.
9. Liability for non-compliance
The following are subject to administrative sanctions:
Producers and suppliers
Fine amounts to twice the fee the obligated entity had to pay to the
operator
Operator manager, legal entity’s manager and self-employed person
that got funds from an operator
For misuse of resources from the fund established with fees paid by
producers and suppliers; operator manager is held administratively liable
in the form of a fine in the amount of ten to fifty base amounts.
A similar fine can be imposed on a legal entity’s manager or self-
employed person for unlawful use or misuse of funds obtained from an
operator.
10. Amounts and Areas of Spending in 2013
Introduction of new
consumption waste
collection and use
technologies,
construction of plants
67%
Compensation of waste
collection costs,
24%
Repayment of loans
contracted to construct
waste separation or
waste use plants,
8%
Financing research and
development,
0.2%
Logistical and
information support,
0.1%
Financing coordination
of secondary resources
management,
1%