Article 25 (Waste Treatment Business)

Any person who intends to engage in the business of collecting/transporting, recycling, or treating waste (hereinafter referred to as "waste treatment business"), excluding persons who intend to recycle municipal waste other than food waste and persons who report waste treatment, shall submit a waste treatment business plan to the Minister of Environment and Climate for businesses targeting designated waste, and to the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province for other waste, in accordance with the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate. The same shall apply when intending to change important matters prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate. <Amended by Act No. 12784, Jul. 23, 2010; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025>

. 4. Whether the installation and operation of waste treatment facilities will affect human health or the surrounding environment, such as the deterioration of water quality in a water source protection zone under Article 7 of the Water Supply and Sewerage Act or difficulty in maintaining environmental standards under Article 12 of the Framework Act on Environmental Policy. ③ A person who has received a notification of appropriateness under paragraph ② shall, within two years from the date of receiving the notification (six months for waste collection/transport business under paragraph ⑤ subparagraph 1, and three years for businesses requiring the installation of incineration and landfill facilities among waste treatment businesses), obtain a permit from the Minister of Environment and Climate for businesses targeting designated waste, or from the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province for other waste, by equipping themselves with facilities, equipment, and technical capabilities according to the standards prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate, categorized by business type, target waste, and treatment field. In this case, the Minister of Environment and Climate or the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province shall promptly grant the permit if the person who received the notification of appropriateness has applied for the permit by fulfilling the requirements for facilities, equipment, and technical personnel according to the business plan for which the notification of appropriateness was received. <Amended by Act No. 10355, Aug. 3, 2007; Act No. 12784, Jul. 23, 2010; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025>

subparagraph 1, and a total extension period of two years for waste final disposal business and comprehensive waste treatment business under the same paragraph subparagraphs 3 and 4, respectively) for those who could not apply for the permit within the period specified in paragraph ③ due to natural disasters or other unavoidable reasons. <Newly Added by Act No. 10355, Aug. 3, 2007; Amended by Act No. 12784, Jul. 23, 2010; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025> ⑤ The categories and business contents of waste treatment businesses are as follows. <Amended by Act No. 12784, Jul. 23, 2010; Act No. 13752, Jul. 20, 2015; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025> 1. Waste Collection/Transport Business: Business of collecting waste and transporting it to a recycling or treatment site, or collecting and transporting waste for export. 2. Waste Intermediate Treatment Business: Business of treating waste by incineration, mechanical treatment, chemical treatment, biological treatment, or other methods recognized by the Minister of Environment and Climate as safe intermediate treatment, by equipping waste intermediate treatment facilities. 3. Waste Final Disposal Business: Business of finally disposing of waste by landfill or other methods (excluding discharge into sea areas), by equipping waste final disposal facilities. 4. Comprehensive Waste Treatment Business: Business of jointly performing intermediate and final treatment of waste by equipping both waste intermediate treatment and final disposal facilities. 5. Waste Intermediate Recycling Business: Business of producing intermediate processed waste by equipping waste recycling facilities. 6. Waste Final Recycling Business: Business of recycling intermediate processed waste in accordance with the principles and compliance matters for waste recycling under Article 13-2, by equipping waste recycling facilities. 7. Comprehensive Waste Recycling Business: Business of jointly performing intermediate recycling business and final recycling business by equipping waste recycling facilities.

The Minister of Environment and Climate or the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province may attach necessary conditions for the convenience of residents' lives, protection of the surrounding environment, and efficient management of the waste treatment business when granting a permit under paragraph ③ or a change permit under paragraph ⑪. However, conditions restricting business areas may be attached to municipal waste collection/transport business, and in this case, the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province shall not restrict it to areas below the city/county/district level. <Amended by Act No. 10355, Aug. 3, 2007; Act No. 12784, Jul. 23, 2010; Act No. 15730, Dec. 27, 2022; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025>

Waste treatment business operators shall comply with the following matters. <Amended by Act No. 13016, Jan. 20, 2015; Act No. 15579, Nov. 26, 2019; Act No. 16207, Jan. 5, 2021; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025> 1. Store waste in appropriate places such as storage facilities at the permitted business site or approved temporary storage facilities, as prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate. 2. Do not store waste in excess of the quantity or duration prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate. 3. Do not accept waste for treatment if it is difficult to treat at one's own treatment facilities or exceeds the treatment capacity. 4. Take fire prevention measures as prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate, including the installation and management of video information processing devices and the collection and storage of video information for waste in storage or landfill (excluding persons engaged in waste collection/transport business). 5. Do not transport waste to a location where a disposition, such as a treatment order, entry prohibition order, or measure order, has been issued under Article 39-2, Article 39-3, Article 40 (paragraphs ② and ③), Article 47-2, or Article 48. 6. Comply with other matters prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate, such as the preparation and storage of contracts when entering into waste treatment contracts.

A person who has obtained a permit under paragraph ③ shall obtain a change permit when changing important matters prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate, and shall file a change report when changing other matters prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate. <Amended by Act No. 10355, Aug. 3, 2007; Act No. 13752, Jul. 20, 2015; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025>

If the Minister of Environment and Climate or the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province does not notify the reporter of the acceptance or non-acceptance of the change report or the extension of the processing period under the laws on civil petition processing within the period prescribed in paragraph ⑫, the change report shall be deemed accepted on the day following the expiration of that period. <Newly Added by Act No. 14687, Apr. 18, 2017; Amended by Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025>

A person who intends to receive the deemed notification of appropriateness, permit, change permit, change report, or confirmation of appropriateness from the Governor of a Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Province, or Special Self-Governing Province under paragraph ⑭ with respect to non-designated waste shall submit related documents prescribed by the Enforcement Decree of the Ministry of Environment and Climate along with the submission of the waste treatment business plan, application for waste treatment business permit, application for change permit, change report, or application for confirmation of appropriateness to the Minister of Environment and Climate. <Amended by Act No. 10355, Aug. 3, 2007; Act No. 14687, Apr. 18, 2017; Act No. 17150, Oct. 1, 2025; Act No. 17158, Nov. 11, 2025>

Among those who intend to engage in waste treatment business, a person falling under any of the following subparagraphs may apply for a permit under paragraph ③ without undergoing the procedures under paragraphs ① and ②. <Newly Added by Act No. 12784, Jul. 23, 2010; Amended by Act No. 13476, Jul. 16, 2013; Act No. 14687, Apr. 18, 2017> 1. A person intending to engage in waste treatment business in an industrial complex as defined in Article 2 (8) of the Act on the Establishment and Support of Industrial<bos>. 2. A person intending to engage in waste treatment business in a recycling complex under Article 34 of the Act on Conservation and Recycling of Resources. 3. A person intending to engage in waste recycling business under subparagraphs 5 through 7 of paragraph ⑤.