Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Conduct Intensive Crackdown on Illegal Waste Disposal at Scrap Metal Dealers
The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police will conduct an intensive two-week crackdown on 150 scrap metal dealers across the province from September 7-18 to eliminate environmental pollution caused by illegal dismantling of discarded home appliances by recycled resource collection businesses, commonly known as scrap metal dealers.
This crackdown aims to prevent the release of hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) refrigerants into the atmosphere during the illegal collection and dismantling of discarded home appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners, and to preemptively block abandoned waste and illegal dumping resulting from indiscriminate collection and storage of unauthorized waste.
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) is a representative greenhouse gas that can cause greenhouse effects up to 10,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. Without proper recovery, dismantling discarded appliances risks accelerating climate change and environmental pollution. Accordingly, discarded appliances must be recovered and processed through legitimate waste management companies in accordance with relevant laws such as the Waste Management Act.
Additionally, as cases of indiscriminate collection and storage of high-profit waste beyond items permitted for collection at scrap metal dealers increase, environmental pollution concerns are growing. Indiscriminate collection of waste exceeding proper treatment capacity leads to long-term abandoned waste generation and ultimately creates a vicious cycle in which waste is entrusted to companies with insufficient treatment capacity or illegally dumped, resulting in illegal waste disposal.
In response, the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police plan to conduct intensive crackdowns on 150 suspected illegal scrap metal dealers selected through satellite image analysis, citizen reports, and on-site investigations.
Primary crackdown targets include △illegal waste dumping △unauthorized collection, transportation, and recycling of business waste △unreported installation and operation of waste treatment facilities △violations of waste disposal standards and methods △failure to recover refrigerants from discarded appliances and illegal dismantling activities, among others.
The Special Judicial Police plan to take strict measures such as criminal prosecution in accordance with relevant laws including the Waste Management Act for violations detected, and will immediately notify relevant municipal and county governments of matters requiring administrative action.
Moon-ju Kwon, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police, said, "Refrigerant leakage during illegal dismantling of discarded appliances is an environmental crime that directly impacts climate change," adding, "We will establish waste disposal order through uncompromising intensive crackdowns on illegal waste disposal practices and protect the health and environment of residents of Gyeonggi Province."