What Changed on January 1, 2026 — From 50 Items to Every Product
On January 1, 2026, Korea's extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for electrical and electronic equipment expanded from 50 designated items, mostly mid-size and large appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and TVs, to all electrical and electronic products in principle. The change came through an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles. Smaller products that were previously outside the scheme, such as clothes dryers and portable fans, are now covered.
Is Your Company Covered — Judging by Business Type
The most common question in year one was who the obligated party is. The principle is the manufacturer or importer that first places a finished product on the Korean market.
For borderline products, send a written inquiry to K-eco and keep the reply on file.
Closing Year-One Records and the Early-2027 Schedule
2026 is the first year newly covered companies finalize annual shipment records. Three things need to be settled before year-end.
Filing deadlines and contribution settlement dates follow notices from K-eco and the producer responsibility organization, and the detailed schedule for newly covered companies should be confirmed against those notices. Companies that used to pay the waste charge should review their assessments to make sure the charge has not been levied again on 2026 shipments.
Choosing How to Comply — Joining the PRO or Complying Individually
Companies can either pay contributions to a producer responsibility organization that handles collection and recycling on their behalf, or build their own collection and recycling arrangements.
What to Build into Product Design and Cost
Contributions scale with shipped weight, so lighter products and simpler material mixes reduce cost directly. Structures that are easy to disassemble and recyclable materials are also items customers check in ESG supply chain assessments. Exporters will work more efficiently by keeping product weight, material composition and hazardous substance information in a single product data sheet that serves both domestic EPR reporting and overseas regulatory requirements.
How KITIM Can Help
KITIM supports companies with EPR coverage assessments for electrical and electronic products, shipment record management systems, environmental compliance diagnostics and ESG supply chain assessment responses. If your product classification or obligated-party status is still unclear ahead of your first annual filing, please reach out through the KITIM consultation request. We will start by working through the checklist that fits your company.